GIFT 

OF 

New  Christian 
System  of  Living 

-OR- 

BUNDANCE  FOR  ALL 


WILLIAM  KELLAWAY 


i  book  that  will  receive  more  than  passing 
i.  Its  earnestness  and  aim  are  of  the  high- 
id-hot  against  the  selfishness  that  makes 
r  and  wretched.  But  still  better  than  that 
way  by  which  ALL  can  have  enough  to 
every  reasonable  want — a  way  to  relieve 
ess  and  establish  an  adequate  livelihood 
>rker. 

Social  System  MUST  appeal  to  every  good 
d  woman.  Surely  we  would  see  everybody 
abundance  for  their  needs,  even  as  we 
ame  for  ourselves.  The  New  Christian 
jving  herein  proposed  is  built  upon  mutual 
ibor.  Think  if  there  can  be  a  more  ex- 
iation.  Reason  says  it  must  prove  both 
and  enduring. 

:e     -     One  Dollar  and  Fifty  Cents. 

Address  the  Author, 
t  Third  Street,  Los  Angeles,  California. 


GIFT  OF 


THE  NEW 

CHRISTIAN 

SYSTEM 

OF 
LIVING 


W.  KELUWAY 


LOS  ANGELES 


The  New  Christian 

System  of  Living 

—  OR- 

AN  ABUNDANCE  FOR  ALL 


BY  WILLIAM  KELLAWAY 


This  is  a  book  that  will  receive  more  than  passing 
attention.  Its  earnestness  and  aim  are  of  the  high- 
est. It  is  red-hot  against  the  selfishness  that  makes 
millions  poor  and  wretched.  But  still  better  than  that 
it  shows  a  way  by  which  ALL  can  have  enough  to 
supply  their  every  reasonable  want — a  way  to  relieve 
present  distress  and  establish  an  adequate  livelihood 
for  every  worker. 

JTT  Such  a  Social  System  MUST  appeal  to  every  good 
^J]  man  and  woman.  Surely  we  would  see  everybody 
happy  with  abundance  for  their  needs,  even  as  we 
crave  the  same  for  ourselves.  The  New  Christian 
System  of  Living  herein  proposed  is  built  upon  mutual 
Love  and  Labor.  Think  if  there  can  be  a  more  ex- 
cellent foundation.  Reason  says  it  must  prove  both 
satisfactory  and  enduring. 

Price     -     One  Dollar  and  Fifty  Cents. 

Address  the  Author, 
3 1 8  East  Third  Street,  Los  Angeles,  California. 


bo 

2 
w 
o 


s 

o 


OF  LIVING 


NEW  CHRISTIAN  SYSTEM  OF  LIVING 


The  New 
Christian  System  of  Living 

OR, 

An  Abundance  for  All 


BY 
WILLIAM  KELLAWAY 

(ELDER) 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR 

318  East  Third  Street,  Los  Angeles,  California 

1917 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT 


It  is  with  genuine  pleasure  that  I  acknowledge 
the  encouragement  given  me  by  my  beloved  wife, 
CLARA  AUGUSTA,  in  the  preparation  of  this  vol- 
ume. Perceiving  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was 
upon  me  for  the  work,  she  very  heartily  sec- 
onded me  in  the  prosecution  of  my  task,  and  now 
shares  with  me  the  joy  of  its  completion.  We 
mutually  trust  the  book  has  a  mission  of  bless- 
ing for  the  world. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


424543 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 
Introduction i 

CHAPTER  I. 
An  Associate  Christian  Life  Possible 17 

CHAPTER  II. 

Re-Birth  to  Brotherly  Love  Indispensable  for 
the  Community  Life 29 

CHAPTER  III. 

Tears  Over  the  Injustices  and  Distress  of  the 
World    41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Ministers   Should   Teach   Business   and   Social 
Righteousness 55 

CHAPTER  V. 
Righteousness  and  Equality  Demanded 67 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Primitive  Church  Communistic. 81 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Christian  Church  a  New  Nation 95 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Brotherliness  in  Business 109 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Protesting  and  Isolating  the  Grasper 123 


ii  Contents 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  X. 
Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter 137 

CHAPTER  XL 
The  Predicted  Age  of  Covetousness  Come 153 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Selfishness  and  Ferocity  as  Signs  of  the  End.  . .   169 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Beginning  a  New  Community 187 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Life  in  the  Christian  Community 199 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Reasons  for  the  Community  Life 213 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Domestic  Conditions  in  Community 227 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Christian  Community  a  Converting 

Agency    241 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Business  that  is  Not  Service  of  Bad  Men 257 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
How  it  Feels  to  Be  Poor 271 

CHAPTER  XX. 
A  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund 287 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Conversion  of  the  Exploiter 301 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
God  Requires  Man's  Love.  .  .   315 


INTRODUCTION 


THIS  is  a  holy  book.  It  has  been  written  under 
an  impulsion  of  the  Spirit.  The  manuscript  of  nearly 
a  thousand  pages  was  prepared  in  about  forty  days. 
Many  of  the  thoughts  herein  contained  never  oc- 
curred to  me  before.  Indeed,  the  remarkable  thing 
about  this  book  is  that  it  is  nearly  as  new  to  me  as 
it  will  be  to  the  reader.  When  I  have  read  over  a 
chapter  after  completion  it  has  seemed  as  though  I 
were  reading  the  work  of  another. 

And  it  is  the  work  of  Another.  I  did  not  premedi- 
tate it.  I  laid  out  no  plan  of  composition  or  arrange- 
ment. But  as  I  progressed,  borne  along  by  the  spir- 
itual Power,  I  put  down  what  came  to  me  to  write. 
Therefore,  I  feel  I  am  only  an  amanuensis  in  its  pro- 
duction. It  is  new  to  me,  after  so  many  years  of 
authorship,  to  be  thus  so  directly  moved  by  God  and 
sustained  by  Him  in  prosecution  of  a  task.  In  a 
sentence,  this  book  has  truly  been  begun,  continued 
and  ended  in  God.  To  some  this  may  sound  like  fan- 
aticism; but  I  am  satisfied  that  nobody  indwelt  by 
God  will  find  herein  a  single  fanatical  paragraph,  or 
even  line.  It  is  far  away  from  visionary.  It  is  real- 
istic, to  the  last  word. 

If  anybody  shall  be  disposed  to  criticize  it  as  lack- 
ing art,  and  being  crude  in  part  or  as  a  whole,  I 
answer,  this  is  not  an  art  book.  It  was  not  composed 
for  men's  admiration,  to  win  their  praise.  It  is  an 
unveiling,  a  message.  Messages  from  God  are  not 
meant  to  be  models  of  composition.  The  work  be- 
longs to  the  Pauline  account  of  his  ambassadorial 
visits.  He  says,  he  came  not  to  those  to  whom  he 


ii  Introduction 

was  sent  with  elegancies  or  tricks  of  speech,  where- 
by the  orator  captivates  his  hearers  and  causes  them 
to  laugh  and  cry,  sympathize  or  rave,  in  turns.  No, 
no.  Plainness  is  all  I  claim.  God  would  have  His 
word  understood.  Understood  to  be  obeyed.  God 
seeks  obedience  from  man.  If  any  line  may  seem 
dark,  I  shall  be  glad  to  be  given  a  chance  to  remove 
the  obscurity. 

Now  as  to  the  substance  of  this  book.  It  views 
this  world  as  very  evil.  It  calls  it  a  "damnably  bad 
world."  Very  strong  words,  I  grant;  but  having 
lived  in  it  nearly  seventy  years  I  know  it.  And  noth- 
ing is  gained  by  calling  it  good.  Besides,  it  is  not 
the  truth.  Facts  prove  it  is  not.  The  economic  and 
industrial  conditions  of  earth  are  all  based  upon 
selfishness  and  greed.  Of  course,  there  are  other 
stones  besides  these  at  the  base  of  society  and  mer- 
cantile life ;  but  these  are  sufficient  to  mention  here. 
Any  thinking  man  will  allow  that  love  of  self  and 
covetousness  are  not  very  hopeful  principles  from 
which  to  expect  satisfactory  conditions  for  mankind. 
Therefore,  it  is  no  wonder  that  millions  are  poor  and 
cheerless,  restless  and  resentful.  There  is  a  very 
great  and  substantial  grievance  in  the  heart  of  the 
toilers  against  the  exploiters  of  the  race,  the  rich 
men  who  have  everything.  Great  God !  how  devilish 
these  creatures  be!  Men  who  can  feast  and  lie 
down  on  their  beds  at  night  satisfied,  while  millions 
are  empty  in  stomach  and  huddle  together  between 
rags  to  keep  up  a  little  heat  that  they  may  not  utterly 
perish,  have  passed  out  of  the  class  of  humans,  al- 
though bipeds  and  with  the  features  of  man.  This 
book  speaks  of  them  in  epithets  as  strong  as  those 
used  by  Christ  against  the  Pharisees.  Why  not? 
The  miscreants  deserve  every  bad  word  in  the  dic- 
tionary that  describes  them,  whether  they  have 
church  affiliation  or  are  openly  irreligious. 


Introduction  iii 

This  book,  too,  rebukes  the  churches  that  coddle 
the  bad  men — for  the  money  they  can  get  out  of 
them.  If  they  were  good  they  would  say  to  the  money- 
stealer,  under  cover  of  business:  "Thy  money  go 
to  perdition  [hell]  with  thee."  It  will ;  and  there  are 
unmistakable  signs  that  it  will  not  be  long  before  the 
exploiter  and  his  badly  gotten  gain  will  together  go 
into  the  fire. 

But  the  greatest  service  which  this  book  renders 
is  that  it  gives  a  sketch  of  a  new  system  of  living 
together,  founded  upon  love.  Really,  it  is  not  new; 
it  is  the  old,  the  first  way  Christians  dwelt  together, 
slightly  modified  to  suit  the  changed  civil  conditions. 
For  the  converted  it  is  entirely  practical.  But,  alas ! 
there  are  few  converted.  Most  persons,  while  look- 
ing toward  the  Zoar  of  safety,  face  about  and  look 
back  to  Sodom.  Their  heart  is  there,  because  their 
material  possessions  are  there.  Surely  they  are  not 
fit  for  the  Kingdom  of  God.  And  the  unfit  will  never 
enter  therein.  They  may  as  well  know  it  now.  Here 
they  are  fearlessly  told  the  truth. 

The  end  sought  is  the  re-establishment  of  the  early 
Community  System,  based  upon  a  covenant  of  mu- 
tual love  and  support.  It  is  shown  that  if  the  Broth- 
erhood will  once  for  all  give  up  private  interest  as 
the  end  of  life,  and  put  what  they  have  together  and 
co-operate  in  work,  everybody  will  have  enough,  even 
to  plenty ;  all  will  be  relieved  of  worry  and  care ;  all 
risk  of  losses  will  be  gone;  poverty  will  be  ended; 
and  the  Christian  Community  will  be  a  gloriously 
converting  agency.  Which  may  God  grant  for  the 
church's  and  the  world's  sakes,  but  chiefly  for  His 
own  pleasure  and  glory. 

WILLIAM  KELLAWAY. 


N.  B. — I  invite  correspondence  from  all  earnest 
readers  upon  the  subject  of  this  treatise,  with  state- 
ment of  difficulties  and  presentation  of  questions,  for 
answer  in  following  editions,  or  treatment,  if  too 
lengthy,  in  a  separate  volume. 


The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

OR, 
AN  ABUNDANCE  FOR  ALL 


CHAPTER  I. 
An  Associate  Christian  Life  Possible 


"IT  can't  be  done.  What  you  propose  is  beauti- 
ful indeed,  and  would  bring  supply  and  satisfaction 
to  all,  but  it  can't  be  done ;  hence,  it  is  waste  of  time 
to  talk  any  more  about  it." 

"John,  John!  and  you  among  the  canters!  How 
much  better  to  be  of  the  willers  and  the  doers !" 

"Yes,  where  a  thing  is  possible;  but  I  say  this  is 
unattainable,  an  impossibility,  and  it  is  vain  to  con- 
sider it  further." 

"That  is  what  is  said  of  everything  until  it  is 
done;  then  it  seems  strange  that  it  was  not  always 
thought  of  as  practicable." 

"I  know,  Dad,  you  are  good-hearted,  and  always 
thinking  up  and  doing  something  to  relieve  people 
and  give  them  pleasure ;  but  positively,  a  Community 
dwelling  together  in  brotherly  love,  working  for  each 
other,  with  plenty  for  everyone,  is  too  heavenly 
for  this  old  world  of  ours.  Nobody  would  like  to 
see  such  a  state  more  than  I,  but  really  it  never 
can  be." 

"John,  do  you  remember— it  was  but  a  short  time 
ago — when  men  spoke  of  flying,  and  how  it  was 


18     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

ridiculed?  Birds  might  fly,  but  not  men.  Heavier- 
than-air  bodies  could  never  be  as  the  slight  beautiful 
creatures  that  cleave  the  ether.  The  law  of  gravita- 
tion would  pull  them  down ;  or,  rather,  prevent  their 
ascent.  But,  lo!  they  do  fly!  And  such  monsters, 
too!  Why,  I  saw  in  the  papers  that  the  latest  air- 
ships are  770  feet  long !  Think  of  it !  And  so  heavy 
— hundreds  of  tons !  And  I  read  the  speed  of  some 
of  them  is  above  a  hundred  miles  an  hour !  But  men 
said  it  could  not  be  done;  sky-flying  would  not  be 
a  success.  But  now  aerial  boats  are  even  carriers  of 
passengers  and  freight!  After  this,  who  dare  say 
that  anything  is  impossible  to  be  done." 

"Yes,  I  do  remember  when  flying  was  first 
broached.  I  can  remember  that  in  conversation  every- 
where it  was  said  the  proposers  of  airships  were 
'crazy' — gone  daft ;  and  it  is  amazing  to  see  to  what 
perfection  aviation  has  been  brought." 

"Talking  of  'crazy/  John,  I  had  a  little  experience 
along  that  line  with  Big  Business  lately.  It  was  a 
lumber  concern,  one  of  the  merciless  corporations  of 
our  day — a  concern  that  in  cold-blooded  cruelty 
cannot  be  exceeded." 

"Alas !  there  are  hundreds  of  such  concerns ;  mon- 
sters that  bring  together  their  teeth  upon  the  unfor- 
tunates whose  heads  come  between  their  jaws." 

"Well,  I  told  this  concern  the  sort  of  people  they 
were,  and  applied  to  them  the  proper  epithets;  and 
they  were  so  astonished  to  hear  anybody  talk  up 
Justice  and  Goodness  to  them  that  they  intimated 
that  my  'nut*  must  have  a  little  crack  in  it,  and  that 
I  was  a  subject  for  examination  by  a  lunacy  com- 
mission." 

"Didn't  that  scare  you,  and  make  you  shut  up  ?" 

"John!" 

"Well,  facing  an  asylum  is  not  a  very  cheerful 
prospect." 


An  Associate  Christian  Life  Possible     19 

"Ha,  ha!  The  suggestion  that  /,  with  such  a 
steady,  reliable  old  brain,  whose  mental  grip  is  de- 
cision and  firmness  themselves,  should  be  thought  of 
as  non  compos  mentis,  amused  me  in  the  highest.  I 
had  to  laugh  almost  a  riproarious  laugh.  'Let  them 
send  along  their  commissioners/  I  said,  with  scorn. 
No  streak  of  insanity  or  delusion  was  ever  found  in 
our  family,  and  the  suggestion  was  ridiculous." 

"Well,  I  grant  that  many  things  that  have  been 
held  impossible  have  a  little  while  later  become  part 
of  the  common  things  of  life." 

"Truly;  and  to  mention  but  one  more,  Sir  Thomas 
More  of  England,  about  three  centuries  ago,  wrote  a 
book  on  a  Social  system  that  he  conceived  of  as  a  true 
Commonwealth.  People  smiled  with  incredulity  at 
the  dream  ever  becoming  anything  more  solid.  But 
since  then  one  idea  after  another  of  Sir  Thomas' 
brain,  from  being  a  flimsy  creation  of  the  imagina- 
tion, has  been  incorporated  into  the  governments  of 
the  world,  and  is  in  existence  to-day  de  facto.  Why, 
it  was  once  enough  to  say  of  any  scheme,  to  smirch 
it  and  cause  its  abandonment,  that  it  was  'utopian' — 
that  was  its  death-blow." 

"Well,  what  you  have  said  is  sufficient  as  illustra- 
tion, to  show  that  what  is  judged  impossible  some- 
times happens  or  comes  to  be ;  but  you  know  in  logic 
illustration  is  not  proof  of  a  specific  proposition  be- 
ing true.  That  is  to  say,  proof  that  your  noble  and 
remedial  plan  to  end  anxiety  and  want  can  succeed." 

"I  allow  it.  I  know  I  have  not  as  yet  given  rea- 
sons that  it  is  possible,  by  a  simple  method,  to  bring 
poverty  and  solicitude  to  an  end ;  nor  have  I  demon- 
strated its  reality  in  a  Community  of  working 
brothers;  but  as  truly  as  sin  is  curable,  so  also  is 
poverty.  Not  in  everybody,  but  in  everybody  who 
will  take  the  course  that  brings  to  the  goal.  I  will 
give  reasons  later ;  and  if  I  am  co-operated  with,  will 


20     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

show  in  a  Social  fellowship  that  what  I  claim  is  a 
possibility — such  a  possibility  as  will  cause  count- 
less thousands  to  lift  up  their  voices  to  Heaven  to- 
gether in  paeans  of  gratitude  and  praise.  But,  really, 
did  you  ever  think  closely  as  to  possibility  and  im- 
possibility— what  can  or  cannot  be  done,  or  brought 
into  being?" 

"No,  I  cannot  say  that  I  have  studied  the  matter. 
I  speak  only  from  first  impression,  from  considera- 
tions that  are  present  to  my  mind  at  this  moment. 
Maybe  there  is  nothing  to  them  of  real  unsurmount- 
able  difficulty ;  but  still  I  am  of  the  opinion,  as  I  now 
view  the  matter,  that  desirable  as  a  partnership  may 
be  among  men  in  which  all  shall  be  beneficiaries, 
first,  to  the  extent  of  their  actual  necessities,  and 
next,  to  participation  in  comforts  and  even  'extras/ 
it  can  never  be.  But  if  you  will  tell  me  how  you  look 
at  it  I  shall  gladly  hear,  that  I  may  know  the  rea- 
sons which  make  you  so  sanguine — or  optimistic, 
shall  I  say? — of  rendering  service  that  would  be  of 
inestimable  good." 

"John,  you  credit  me  with  optimism — a  hopeful 
outlook.  Why,  that  is  nothing  to  it.  I  even  see  you 
an  active  member  of  such  a  Society !  and  an  enthus- 
iast in  spreading  the  beneficial  plan!  Yes,  you, 
John — you!  I  can  see  plainly  the  three  stages  of 
your  conversion:  First,  an  unbeliever,  incredulous 
of  so  great  a  reformation  or  more  correctly  revolu- 
tion ;  Second,  a  willing  hearer  of  the  doctrine ;  Third, 
a  convinced  brother,  saying,  'Arise,  and  let  us 
build !'  It  delights  me  greatly.  In  the  Revised  Ver- 
sion of  the  New  Testament  we  are  commanded  to 
be  'despairing  of  no  man/  And  I  certainly  do  not 
despair  of  you" 

"You  are  ahead  of  me,  in  your  zeal;  but  I  will 
justify  your  conversion  stages  so  far  as  to  admit  that 
Number  One  is  correct:  I  think  your — shall  I  say 


An  Associate  Christian  Life  Possible    21 

Utopian? — vision  cannot  materialize;  Second,  I  will 
go  farther  and  hear  what  you  have  to  say  out  of  your 
own  assurance ;  but  Third,  I  make  no  promise  of  co- 
operation with  you  in  your  work,  without  persuasion 
of  its  feasibility.  The  essential  Tightness  of  it  I 
cannot  deny,  that  each  should  stand  by  his  brother 
for  the  supply  and  safety  of  all." 

"John,  what  makes  impossibility  to  do  a  thing?  I 
will  answer  my  own  question  and  ask  you  to  criti- 
cise it.  As  I  see  it,  impossibility  exists:  1,  when 
a  thing  is  beyond  our  capacity;  2,  when,  having 
capacity,  we  lack  the  will  to  do  it,  or  have  an  oppo- 
site mind;  3,  when  there  is  present  in  our  moral 
nature  a  defect  that  is  non-sympathetic,  non-con- 
genial." 

"Those  reasons  appear  to  be  right,  upon  the  face. 
But  I  desire  to  take  the  place  of  a  learner,  and  would 
rather  you  would  do  the  talking." 

"Be  it  so.  Now,  let  us  examine  these  reasons  and 
see  if  they  exist  in  prevention  of  a  new  Society 
among  Christians;  for  I  would  have  you  recollect 
that  I  have  only  claimed  it  as  a  condition  for  Chris- 
tian living  together — of  course,  not  excluding  any- 
body who  will  agree  to  abide  by  the  same  rules.  Do 
not  think  of  it  as  a  close  Society,  an  exclusive  body ; 
it  would  open  its  doors  and  arms  to  everybody  seek- 
ing its  fellowship  and  willing  to  be  governed  by  the 
laws  of  Christ  and  yielding  to  His  Spirit's  impul- 
sions." 

"I  will  make  a  note  of  it,  that  you  are  now  speak- 
ing of  a  System  founded  on  Christianity,  and  pro- 
posed for  disciples  of  its  Head  and  others  willing  to 
be  subject  to  His  rules." 

"I  said,  the  first  thing  that  makes  anything  impos- 
sible is  lack  of  capacity.  And  can  any  say  that  men 
cannot  work  together  for  a  particular  purpose  and 
end?  Surely,  they  can.  Christian  men  can  follow 


22     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

their  various  trades  and  occupations,  as  they  are 
doing  every  day.  They  are  destitute  neither  of  skill, 
strength,  nor  aptitude — the  three  essentials  of  labor. 
They  can  work  in  co-operation ;  they  do  it  now,  un- 
der the  'hire'  system.  They  can  also  work  for  their 
mutual  benefit,  as  they  now  work  for  a  contractor's 
or  an  owner's  gain.  There  is  nothing  about  these 
things  but  what  can  be  done.  Capability  is  commen- 
surate with  any  and  every  demand  for  the  partner- 
ship life." 

"Yes,  what  you  say  about  the  getting-together 
plan,  and  each  taking  his  part  according  to  his  quali- 
fication, is  so  self-evident  that  the  life  you  suggest  is 
not  only  possible,  but,  as  you  say,  is  being  exemplified 
every  day  before  our  eyes.  I  cannot  deny  the  possi- 
bility of  group-working  because  of  natural  inca- 
pacity." 

"But  now,  capacity  to  begin,  carry  on  and  com- 
plete any  job  that  is  undertaken  in  mutuality  and  for 
the  profit  of  all  being  established,  there  comes  the 
next  affirmation,  that  a  thing  is  impossible  when, 
having  capacity,  we  are  without  the  will  to  do  it,  and 
are  even  hostile  towards  its  performance.  It  is  a  ques- 
tion of  will.  That  is  the  question  of  all  questions. 
We  do  nothing  without  will.  We  may  not  take  notice 
of  the  fact,  but  will,  decision  for  action,  is  root  and 
cause  of  every  movement.  Take  the  commonest 
things  of  life — our  everyday  acts.  We  arise  from 
our  bed,  wash,  dress,  read  the  Bible  and  pray  (if 
we  are  religious) ,  eat  our  breakfast,  leave  home  for 
our  work,  do  all  our  labor,  return  home,  etc.,  all  by 
willing  to  do  so.  Question :  Is  it  impossible  for  a  man 
to  will  to  extend  the  unity  of  his  love  and  fellowship 
in  Christ  with  his  brother  to  the  inclusion  of  secular 
work?  Can  he  not  will  to  complete  this  God-created 
unity  and  decide  to  co-operate  with  his  fellow  Chris- 
tian in  labor,  to  sink  or  swim  with  him?  Of  course, 


An  Associate  Christian  Life  Possible    23 

he  can.  There  is  nothing  that  can  be  master  of  will 
but  the  man  himself.  An  individual  can  be  influ- 
enced, persuaded  and  so  forth ;  and  he  can  by  choice 
of  will,  if  he  is  sufficiently  Christian,  co-operate  in 
labor  on  the  basis  of  love  of  the  brotherhood." 

"It  is  true,  if  a  man  wills  to  be  part  of  such  a 
System,  and  live  his  life  by  such  principles  and  rules, 
he  can  do  it,  as  you  say.  But  will  he?" 

"That  is  another  question,  which  I  will  allude  to 
hereafter.  The  only  question  now  is,  whether  it  is 
possible  for  him  to  decide  on  such  a  relation  in 
earthly  business;  and  you  have  agreed  that  it  is 
wholly  within  his  power  thus  to  act." 

"Yes,  will  is  exercisable  in  the  way  of  a  man's 
predilections ;  he  can  will  to  be  a  Communal  fellow- 
worker  or  otherwise  if  he  choose.  Disposition  for, 
as  against,  is  his." 

"The  third  note  of  impossibility  is  a  real  one — 
unless  a  man  can  be  changed ;  and  I  grant  it  is  stub- 
born to  combat,  and  one  that  can  only  be  over- 
come by  a  new  spirit  received  from  above.  That  is 
why  I  do  not  speak  of  the  Christian  System  as  uni- 
versally applicable.  It  is  only  a  solution  of  distress- 
ing world  problems  so  far  as  men  can  receive  it  to 
act  upon  it.  But  mankind  as  a  whole,  the  race  in  its 
entirety,  has  been  corrupted  by  Satan  (I  accept  the 
Bible  statement  of  the  Fall,  in  Genesis,  as  true). 
The  depravation  of  the  wicked  one  has  affected  in 
greater  or  lesser  measure  every  human  being.  His 
first  depravation  was  to  beget  covetousness  in  man. 
The  beginning  of  covetousness  was  in  the  Garden  of 
Eden;  the  end  of  it  will  be  in  hell  (Gehenna)  fire. 
Eve  was  content  with  approach  to  the  fruit-bearing 
trees  of  Paradise  till  Satan  directed  her  attention  to 
the  one  forbidden  tree.  Then  she  saw  the  fruit,  that 
it  looked  luscious;  desire  to  taste  it  (covetousness) 
arose  within  her;  she  plucked,  and  ate;  and  knew 


24     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

'good',  alas !  as  departed,  lost ;  and  'evil/  as  a  sinner, 
a  guilty  rebel.  This  covetousness  is  in  all.  In  some 
it  is  continually  present  as  a  working  principle, 
swallowing  up  every  other  incentive  to  action.  It 
is  impossible  for  such  a  covetous  person  to  be  a  mem- 
ber of  a  Christian  Brotherhood  founded  on  love  and 
looking  every  man  on  his  brother's,  rather  than  his 
own,  wealth." 

"I  have  listened  to  you  so  far  on  this  important 
matter  with  great  interest.  Do  you  know  that 
writers  on  Sociology — all,  so  far  as  my  reading  ex- 
tends— base  their  rejection  of  a  co-operative,  frater- 
nal System,  such  as  you  describe,  on  this  very 
ground?  They  call  it  an  'imperfection  of  human 
nature/  a  'defect  of  humanity/  and  so  forth;  and 
admit,  that  were  it  not  for  this  'defect*  (you  call  it 
'Satanic  depravation')  men  could  live  together  in  an 
ideal  and  blessed  Commonwealth,  being  helpers,  in- 
stead of  devourers,  one  of  another,  as  at  present. 
This  moral  imperfection  they  claim  makes  it  impos- 
sible." 

"I  have  noticed  the  reason  given  for  non-frater- 
nity between  men ;  and  that  with  one  consent  writers 
say  that  the  pivot  of  the  world's  actions  is  selfish- 
ness, called  by  some  a  moral  imperfection  or  defect, 
a  defect  of  humanity  (0  that  all  men  moved  upon 
the  jewel  of  Love!).  Indeed,  I  am  now  reading  a 
book  by  an  able  author,  Amos  Kidder  Fiske,  that  says 
this  very  thing.  Its  title  is  very  attractive,  'Honest 
Business :  Right  Conduct  for  Organizations  of  Capi- 
tal and  Labor.'  Repeatedly  Mr.  Fiske  recurs  to  this 
fact  of  selfishness  as  part  of  man's  make-up,  and 
claims  that  the  economic  crimes  of  the  world  are  but 
phases  of  this  'instinct'  (as  he  calls  it).  Would  you 
like  me  to  make  a  few  quotations  from  his  book  on 
the  subject?" 

"I  should;  because  I  want  to  get  at  the  true  in- 


An  Associate  Christian  Life  Possible    25 

wardness  of  man's  alienation  from  man ;  the  real  rea- 
son why  he  will  not  pull  with  his  brother  instead  of 
working  against  him.  If  I  can  settle  that,  it  will 
help  me  greatly.  Then,  too,  I  can  do  my  part  to 
eradicate  it,  or  cure  it,  or  whatever  term  you  may 
choose  to  employ  to  signify  its  extermination." 

"I  am  glad,  John,  that  we  can  thus  investigate  to- 
gether. Mr.  Fiske  quotes  in  one  place  the  known 
lines,  which  he  calls  the  'Rob  Roy  doctrine' — 

'The  good  old  rule 
Sufficeth  them — the  simple  plan, 
That  they  should  take  who  have  the  power, 
And  they  should  keep  who  can.' 

"He  calls  selfishness  'the  economic  principle/  He 
affirms,  'men  have  one  controlling  motive,  which  has 
its  dogmas  and  variations ;  they  are  naturally  selfish.' 
He  works  it  out,  that  in  all  business  relations  that 
are  evil,  and  by  which  men  suffer,  selfishness  is  the 
cause.  But  he  holds,  also,  that  there  is  a  kind  of 
selfishness  from  which  good  proceeds.  We  think, 
however,  selfishness  is  not  the  right  word  to  name 
the  fountain  of  goodness ;  for  love  of  self  is  reckoned 
by  God  in  Scripture  to  be  wicked — understood,  of 
course,  that  self  is  the  object  for  whom  all  actions 
are  performed  and  all  interest  sought." 

"Please  let  me  break  in  upon  you  to  say,  as  I  un- 
derstand selfishness,  it  is  doing  things  chiefly  or  alto- 
gether for  one's  own  self." 

"That  also  is  my  apprehension  of  the  term — that 
others'  rights  and  interests  are  entirely  out  of  sight 
with  him  who  is  selfish,  or  so  little  regarded  as  to  be 
practically  nil.  But  now  let  us  hear  some  things 
that  Mr.  Fiske  says  about  the  selfish  instinct — the 
greedy,  grasping  element  in  man,  the  low,  brute  prin- 
ciple. He  calls  it  'primal' ;  and  it  is  in  the  depraved 
victim  of  Satan,  fallen  from  his  original  excellence. 


26     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

It  is  a  propensity  as  truly  of  the  evil  one  as  love  is  of 
God." 

"Yes,  that  is  the  significance  from  common  usage." 

"Mr.  Fiske  talks  of  'the  continual  struggle  of  sel- 
fish instincts,  the  use  of  every  faculty  and  power  for 
self -gratification' ;  'the  policy  of  selfish  competition 
(which)  makes  some  rich  and  powerful  and  many 
poor  and  feeble — it  causes  much  enjoyment  and  more 
suffering';  'cold-blooded  economics,  taught  as  a 
science ;  the  benefit  of  some  at  the  expense  of  others' ; 
'striving  to  "make  money"  or  get  wealth — a  defi- 
ciency of  the  ethical  motive  and  of  the  moral  sense' ; 
'human  selfishness  ...  is  essentially  unmoral.' 
He  says,  to  save  from  this  selfishness,  'appeal  must 
be  made  to  the  altruistic  side  of  human  nature,  to 
the  moral  sense,  and  this  must  get  the  better  of 
selfish  instincts,  and  establish  a  reign  of  conscience 
as  well  as  reason' ;  and  in  a  strong  passage  declares, 
'the  policy  of  unbridled  selfishness,  with  its  attendant 
derelictions  of  conduct,  sacrifices  to  the  immediate 
gain  of  the  grasping  few  the  lasting  benefit  of  the 
many,  the  safety  of  the  Community,  and  the  per- 
petuity of  the  State  and  Nation.'  He  charges  selfish- 
ness against  both  capital  and  labor,  capital  being  by 
far  the  greatest  sinner;  and  names  it  as  the  cause 
of  the  eternal  strife  between  employers  and  em- 
ployed. We  have  marked  sixty-one  pages  in  which 
he  directly  or  indirectly  deals  with  this  'defective 
moral  sense'." 

"It  is  clear  to  me,  after  listening  to  you,  that  sel- 
fishness, begetting  covetousness  and  greed  in  the 
hearts  of  men,  with  unwillingness  to  render  to  others 
their  rights  and  dues,  and  even  exploiting  them  for 
self-enrichment,  is  what  prevents  solidarity,  keeping 
mankind  in  separation  from  each  other." 

"John,  this  selfishness,  this  unsocial  principle  in 
men.  this  passion  to  get  and  to  hold  in  one's  own 


An  Associate  Christian  Life  Possible    27 

name,  for  one's  own  use  and  enjoyment,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  rest  of  the  family,  the  family  inheri- 
tance and  the  wealth  thereof,  is  a  damnable  sin — the 
greatest  on  earth  next  to  denial  of  the  God  above, 
atheism,  and  the  rejection  of  His  mercy  in  Christ. 
This  is  the  core  of  unfraternity,  avariciousness  and 
hatred.  The  personal  and  private  indulgences  and 
infirmities,  as  drunkenness,  etc.,  though  great  and 
harmful  vices,  are  as  peccadillos  in  comparison.  0 
frightful  selfishness,  forever  grinding  up  the  world 
of  men !  One  time  a  number  of  estimable  ladies  of 
the  W.  C.  T.  U.  came  to  me  with  the  question: 
Which  is  the  greatest  social  evil?'  I  knew  they  ex- 
pected me  to  answer,  'the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
intoxicating  liquors/  But  I  felt  that  I  must  reply, 
that  for  extent  and  injury,  common  selfishness  led 
the  van.  It  is  the  parent  of  so  much  worry  in  all  de- 
partments and  inclusive  of  so  many  evils.  This  sel- 
fishness is  an  effectual  disqualifier  for  brotherly 
dwelling  together  and  spending  for  mutual  susten- 
ance. Co-operative  action  for  supply  of  common 
needs  would  never  satisfy  a  selfish  person ;  he  would 
be  an  'undesirable  citizen*  of  a  Theocratic  Common- 
wealth. He  would  make  discord  in  a  heavenly  State 
on  earth — a  state  of  love  in  deed  and  in  truth." 

"I  see  now  why  it  is  that  co-operative  communities 
have  not  worked ;  why  they  have  been  failures.  The 
seed  of  discontent  from  dissatisfied,  because  selfish, 
men  have  broken  them  up.  Some,  in  covetousness, 
have  wanted  more  than  enough.  But  I  also  see,  that 
given  the  right  kind  of  men,  a  co-operative  Brother- 
hood would  be  a  success." 

"That  is  precisely  it.  The  failure  has  been  in  the 
constituency.  What  has  brought  them  together  has 
not  been  reciprocal  love — love  that  'seeketh  not  her 
own* ;  love  that  is  beneficent  and  that  Vorketh  good 
to  one's  neighbor,'  Given  such  membership,  a  group 


28     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

committed  by  covenant  to  each  other  could  not  fail  of 
success  in  an  Associate  condition.  The  impossible 
through  selfishness  would  be  possible  through  the  de- 
votion of  love.  Mutual  love  is  a  sure  basis  for  an 
industrial  life  that  would  be  good  to  all." 


CHAPTER  II. 

Re-Birth  to  Brotherly  Love,  Indispensable  for 
the  Community  Life 


"  'YOUR  plan  of  living  would  be  a  success  if  all  men 
had  the  same  regard  for  others  as  they  have  for 
themselves,  but,  sad  to  say,  they  have  not.  It  depends 
wholly  upon  their  being  born  again' — so  said  a  man 
to  me  to  whom  I  had  spoken  about  the  new  and 
better  life  of  mutual  care  and  help.  John,  he  was 
right.  A  man  must  be  born  again  for  qualification 
and  willingness  to  enter  upon  and  live  the  Social  life 
of  beneficial  service.  Should  one  come  into  Com- 
munity without  first  being  re-begotten  he  would  be 
an  inharmonious  and  disruptive  unit :  his  old  selfish- 
ness would  cause  trouble  and  break  up  the  concord 
of  the  holy  Brotherhood." 

"I  agree  with  you,  that  being  born  again  is  a  neces- 
sary pre-requisite  and  an  essential  element  of  a  per- 
manent Collective  life.  As  Jesus  said:  'Except  a 
man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God' — the  Theocracy,  either  now  in  this  world,  or 
hereafter  in  the  Regeneration." 

"O  John !  to  become  a  new  man,  different  from  and 
even  the  contrast  of  one's  old  self — I  repeat  it,  to  be- 
come such  a  man,  is  indispensable  to  the  new  Chris- 
tian system  of  living.  Other  systems  that  I  have  in- 
vestigated, while  they  hold  that  mankind  must  under- 
go a  great  change  to  ensure  to  all  a  happy,  because 


30     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

just,  earthly  existence,  do  not  base  it  upon  regenera- 
tion— birth  of  God.  Some  look  for  it  through  nat- 
ural evolution ;  by  which,  they  say,  the  race  will  keep 
on  progressing,  or  rising,  until  it  reaches  perfection. 
Others  aver,  that  experience  of  suffering  of  evil 
through  adopting  bad  rules  and  following  evil  cus- 
toms will  in  time  drive  men  to  choose  the  good  and 
eliminate  the  bad — bad  by  proof.  And  there  are  yet 
more  who  teach  that  man  is  dual,  that  he  has  a  higher 
and  a  lower  nature,  spiritual  and  animal,  and  that 
the  assertion  of  his  spiritual  nature  is  his  hope  of 
final  escape  from  the  grossness  and  selfishness  of  the 
flesh.  But,  not  being  a  naturist,  nor  an  evolutionist, 
I  regard  not  man  as  the  source  of  his  own  redemp- 
tion ;  no  more  so  than  of  his  original  creation.  With 
the  Sacred  Scriptures  for  my  rule,  regeneration,  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  through  the  Word  of  God,  received 
into  one's  understanding  and  confidence  and  yielded 
to  in  one's  life,  is  the  only  way  of  escape,  as  it  is 
the  only  hope  and  consolation  for  the  race." 

"I  am  delighted  to  hear  that  word  'regeneration' ; 
it  used  to  be  very  common,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  it 
is  rarely  mentioned  in  our  time." 

"True,  for  our  age  is  not  the  age  of  God,  nor  of  His 
government.  He  does  not  have  the  say  among  the 
children  of  men.  Subjection  to  His  will  is  far  from 
the  thoughts  of  the  masses.  A  new  start  from  Him, 
and  an  after  life  sustained  by  Him,  is  a  new  origin 
and  creaturehood  generally  undreampt  of.  0,  by  the 
way,  speaking  of  Government — how  many  sorts  have 
been  tried  by  men!  and  what  frightful  control  our 
earth  is  under  in  this  present  year  of  grace,  1917! 
We  have  experimented  with  autocracy,  aristocracy, 
plutocracy,  democracy;  and  to-day — most  dreadful 
of  all,  frightful  beyond  precedent — demonocracy,  the 
sway  of  harmful  spirits.  For  it  is  irrefutable  that 
the  nations  of  the  world,  plunged  into  such  deadly 


Birth  to  Brotherly  Love  Indispensable  31 

hate  as  now  rages,  and  guilty  of  such  atrocious  deeds 
as  are  daily  being  registered,  are  under  the  inspira- 
tion and  are  working  out  the  doctrines  of  fallen 
spirits,  who  have  come  down  into  the  earth  from  the 
aerial  realm,  and,  possessing  congenial  (bad)  men, 
are  active  in  every  fiendish  enormity.  But  let  me 
blow  upon  the  trumpet  a  joy-note — there  is  coming 
another  Kratos — 'cracy'  if  you  like — as  the  universal 
ruling  power  or  government,  and  it  is  even  now  here 
in  part  among  men  propense  to  righteousness;  it  is 
the  Theocracy,  the  rule  of  God.  For  its  arrival  in  all- 
comprehensive  glory  how  fervently  does  every  one 
who  has  even  partial  conception  of  its  blessedness 
pray,  saying :  'Our  Father,  which  art  in  heaven,  hal- 
lowed be  Thy  name;  Thy  kingdom  come;  Thy  will 
be  done  on  earth  even  as  it  is  done  in  heaven  .  .  . 
For  Thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the 
glory  for  ever/  It  only  awaits  the  coming  of  the 
King  for  its  materialization." 

"Dear  Dad!  seeing  the  oppression,  mischief  and 
heartlessness  of  all  earthly  governments,  together 
with  the  harm  suffered  through  the  moral  deprava- 
tion of  individuals,  in  civil,  in  business  and  in  private 
life,  I  join  you  heartily  in  welcome  to  the  rule  of 
Heaven.  Hail  to  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  blessed 
Theocracy !  Hail  to  King  Jesus,  who  comes  to  reign 
in  righteousness  upon  the  earth!" 

"Son,  did  you  know  Mr.  Benjamin  Fay  Mills,  now 
deceased,  ex-evangelist  and  Socialist  reformer?  For 
years  he  denied  redemption  by  the  shed  blood  of 
Jesus,  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  other  fundamentals  of 
the  evangelical  faith.  During  his  apostasy  he  tried 
human  systems  of  reform — human  in  conception,  ap- 
plication and  spirit.  He  found  them  all  failures  as 
correctives  of  the  world's  evils;  for  they  did  not 
reach  and  change  the  heart.  God  granted  him  at 
the  last  the  grace  of  repentance;  he  came  back  and 


32     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

asked  forgiveness  and  reception  again  into  the  fold 
of  Christ.  And  this  is  the  reason  he  gave  for  re- 
turn, that  experience  had  shown  him  that  the  Church 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  the  only  regenerative  institution 
there  is  in  the  world — the  only  Society  containing 
converting  and  transforming  power.  The  Gospel, 
believed,  is  that  power.  The  Gospel  is  not  a  system 
of  ethics  or  moral  rules  (although  its  precepts  and 
commandments  are  highest  ethics),  but  an  an- 
nouncement or  message  of  salvation  and  transforma- 
tion through  grace;  which  is  the  most  constraining 
and  converting  power  known.  'By  grace/  says  the 
Apostle  Paul,  'are  ye  saved,  through  faith' — that  is, 
belief  of  the  Gospel,  the  story  of  God's  love  in  Christ 
for  sinners,  ourselves,  and  His  provision  for  their, 
our,  delivererance.  Would  you  have  me  speak  to  you 
about  the  new  birth,  or  the  being  born  again?  It 
has  vital  and  inseparable  relation  to  Sociology,  as 
well  as  to  a  part  in  the  coming  Restoration  of  the 
Universe  to  God? 

"Nothing  would  be  more  pleasing,  dear  Dad." 
"Well,  my  son,  knowing  what  it  really  is  to  be 
born  again,  I  testify  to  you  (and  praise  be  to  God 
you  are  able  to  confirm  my  testimony) ,  that  it  is  the 
greatest  event  of  life,  an  experience  the  most  radi- 
cal and  satisfactory  a  man  can  know.  It  is  so  altera- 
tive that  one  is  to  himself,  his  neighbors  and  his  God 
a  different  being — 'turned  into  another  man/  The 
same,  and  not  the  same.  And  considering  one's  new 
self  with  the  self  of  the  past,  there  is  created  mingled 
marvel  and  gladness.  One  feels  to  say  without  mis- 
giving or  hesitancy:  'I  must  be,  and  I  really  am  a 
child  of  God.'  He  can  look  up  into  God's  face  and 
say  'My  Father !'  The  feeling  of  assurance  is  based 
upon  the  fact  of  new  spiritual  creaturehood,  per- 
ceived in  one's  own  personality.  A  Begetter  is  real- 
ized, and  that  Begetter  not  the  Wicked  One.  'Ye  are 


Birth  to  Brotherly  Love  Indispensable  33 

of  your  father  the  devil/  said  Christ  to  the  covetous, 
unsocial,  wicked  Pharisees.  Your  parentage,  you 
are  sure,  is  not  the  devil;  for  your  approvals,  emo- 
tions and  actions  are  anti-devil  and  pro-God  and 
goodness.  O  who  would  not  be  born  again?  Who 
would  not  have  in  himself  the  principles  of  love  and 
righteousness  and  peace!  the  principles  that  are  so 
wonderful  for  blessing  to  the  world!  Not  more 
clearly  are  the  outside  things  of  the  world  perceived 
by  the  eye,  than  the  inside  things  of  the  heart  by 
the  vision  of  the  soul.  The  lion  is  seen  a  lamb ;  the 
covetous  man  a  giver;  the  selfish  man  a  philanthro- 
pist. All  this,  and  much  more,  is  true — true  in  fact 
and  in  consciousness — of  the  man  who  is  born 
again." 

"And  yet,  Dad,  with  religious  people  generally  the 
new  birth  is  such  a  mystery,  and  discourse  about  it 
so  vague,  that  a  person  of  ordinary  intelligence  can- 
not grasp  it  to  know  what  it  is,  and  sighs  in  vain  to 
be  the  new  creature  it  represents." 

"John,  it  is  true;  painfully  true.  In  exuberance 
of  spirit,  I  once  congratulated  a  Calvinist  minister 
that  being  born  again  he  was  a  son  of  God.  To  my 
astonishment — and  how  it  shocked  me! — he  replied, 
he  did  not  know  that  it  was  so  with  him,  although 
he  hoped  it.  I  could  not  but  answer  him:  'What! 
you  a  minister  and  not  know  that  you  have  been  born 
again !  A  man  a  child  of  God  and  not  know  it !  You 
know  yourself;  and  hence  must,  cannot  help  know- 
ing if  you  are  of  God,  begotten  of  Him,  His  child/ 
Ah,  John !  every  child  of  God  has  the  witness  in  him- 
self. He  knows  he  is  God's  workmanship,  created 
anew  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works.  He  knows 
the  ruling,  actuating  spirit  within  him.  He  sees 
how  he  is  fruiting — into  what  works.  If  anything 
is  to  him  a  fact  it  is  his  own  personal  regeneration. 
Hope  it?  No,  a  thousand  times  no!  God-features, 


34     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

God-likeness  is  the  end  of  mere  hoping:  it  is  the 
stamp  of  one's  Divine  origin  and  nature." 

"I  think,  Dad,  the  old  Calvinist  doctrine  has  stum- 
bled many,  or  at  least  involved  them  in  confusion. 
With  a  Calvinist,  the  new  birth  is  the  act  of  God's 
Spirit  immediately  upon  the  human  spirit,  independ- 
ent of  the  will  of  the  man;  a  sovereign  act,  and  of 
selection  (election)  alone  as  to  its  subjects.  All  that 
a  man  can  do  is  to  wait  and  hope  that  he  may  be  one 
of  the  lucky  men  of  Divine  choice.  If  he  does  not 
have  some  particular  experience  or  feeling — revela- 
tion or  emotion — the  probability  is  that  God  has 
passed  him  by;  if  he  is  deeply  affected  toward  God, 
the  probability  is  that  he  is  a  son  of  God.  But  no 
man  can  be  sure;  hence  no  man  can  have  positive 
standing  and  satisfaction  that  he  is  God's  child.  It 
is  a  very  pernicious  doctrine.  It  makes  doubtful 
what  is  most  evident.  It  has  not  the  right  rule,  or 
rather  rules,  of  determination  of  the  vital  matter  of 
new  creaturehood." 

"My  son,  a  man  should  have  no  difficulty  about  the 
new  birth — called  also  born  of  God,  begotten  of  God, 
born  of  the  Spirit,  born  again,  born  from  above.  All 
the  phrases  agree  that  it  is  a  birth.  The  source  of  it 
is  given — God.  The  quickening  power  is  named — the 
Spirit.  It  is  said  to  be  second  in  order — the  first 
being  from  our  earthly  parents,  the  will  of  man,  the 
fleshly  passion.  We  are  told  also  in  another  place 
of  the  instrumentality — the  Word  of  God,  the  Gos- 
pel ;  which  is  called  the  'seed'  of  this  new  being." 

"Can  you  shed  any  light  on  the  phrase  'born 
again'? 

"Yes,  I  can.  It  was  not  a  new  expression  with  the 
men  of  Christ's  time,  although  uncomprehended  by 
Nicodemus,  who  took  it  literally  as  meaning  issuing 
forth  a  second  time  from  the  womb;  and  he  there- 
fore asked  how  it  was  possible  for  a  man  to  return 


Birth  to  Brotherly  Love  Indispensable  35 

to  whence  he  first  came  and  emerge  again  into 
the  world.  Among  the  ancients,  when  a  boy  became 
a  pupil  of  some  philosopher,  he  was  conceived  and 
spoken  of,  figuratively,  of  course,  as  born  again.  He 
commenced  life  again,  took  a  new  start,  had  a  new 
beginning — as  an  infant  sage.  Now,  not  merely  a 
man,  he  starts,  is  born  a  child  of  wisdom,  to  learn, 
practise,  and  later  to  teach,  the  system  of  his  master. 
The  name  of  the  first  book  of  the  Bible  is  Genesis; 
which  means  birth,  or  beginning.  It  records  the  be- 
ginning of  the  world,  the  beginning  of  man,  the  be- 
ginning of  all  the  creatures,  the  beginning  of  vege- 
table and  plant  life,  the  beginning  of  nations,  the 
beginning  of  governments,  etc.  Born  again,  as  I  use 
the  phrase,  simply  means  that  the  man  who  had  a  be- 
ginning in  which  he  shared  the  nature  of  his  par- 
ents, comes  to  another  beginning,  a  new  existence, 
by  which  he  partakes  of  the  spiritual  nature  of  his 
second-time  Father,  God.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  a 
man  who  has  a  physical  frame,  with  qualities  mental, 
emotional  and  moral  that  belong  to  it  and  are  prop- 
erly its  own,  who  has  deteriorated,  being  depraved 
by  Satan  and  sin,  may  be  re-begotten  by  God,  and  so 
become  His  son  in  an  additional  sense  to  that  of 
original  creation.  It  is  easy  to  see,  if  this  never 
takes  place,  he  will  never  be  a  different  and  better 
man  than  what  he  is.  But  it  is  further  as  easy  to 
see  that  such  difference  is  a  possibility — that  he  can 
be  born  again,  become  spiritual,  partake  of  the  per- 
fections of  God — moral  in  this  life  and  substantive 
in  the  resurrection.  This  is  to  be  born  again." 

"But  is  not  the  Calvinist  right,  that,  as  in  nature 
so  in  grace,  being  is  determined  solely  by  the  will 
of  the  sire,  independent  of  every  creature  ?" 

"John,  it  is  not  so  in  nature,  nor  is  it  so  in  grace. 
Besides  we  must  remember,  that  a  figure,  like  a 
parable,  is  not  to  be  stretched  to  all  the  circum- 


36     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

stances  of  the  figure,  but  only  to  the  one  or  more 
points  for  which  it  is  used  by  way  of  illustration. 
So  misused,  the  Parable  of  the  Lost  Sheep  could  be 
made  to  prove  universal  salvation,  instead  of  the 
great  solicitude  and  love  of  a  shepherd  for  a  single 
lost  sheep.  A  new  beginning,  a  beginning  again,  to 
live  unto  God,  as  His  son,  in  faith,  righteousness 
and  love,  is  its  obvious  meaning.  And  God  has  such 
sons.  They  are  'of  God' — in  an  additional  sense  to 
that  in  which  it  is  said  of  the  whole  human  family, 
'We  are  all  the  offspring  of  God/  And  whosoever 
will,  not  in  opposition  to  God's  will  but  in  agreement 
with  it,  can  become  a  child  of  God,  a  son  of  God ;  can 
have  a  new  start  in  righteousness ;  can  manifest  his 
parentage  as  from  above." 

"Will  you  explain,  dear  Dad,  how  this  can  be?" 

"Gladly.    An  Apostle  says : 

'Ye  have  purified  your  souls  in  obeying  the 
truth  through  the  Spirit  unto  unfeigned  love  of 
the  brethren  .  .  .  being  born  again,  not  of 
corruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  by  the 
Word  of  God,  which  liveth  and  abideth  for  ever. 
.  .  .  And  this  is  the  word  which  by  the  Gos- 
pel is  preached  unto  you.'  And  again: 

"  'Of  His  [God's]  own  will  begat  He  us  with 
the  word  of  truth.' 

"And  Paul  writes  to  the  Corinthians  that  he  had 
begotten  them  'through  the  Gospel.'  The  Gospel  is 
the  living  'seed.'  In  itself,  it  is  a  good  message  of 
deliverance  and  eternal  life.  Received  by  faith,  it 
becomes  salvation.  'The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth.'  There- 
fore the  message  is,  Believe  and  be  saved.  Receive 
the  Gospel — and  of  course  the  Christ  who  is  the  cen- 
ter of  it,  who  is  Himself  the  Saviour — and  you  shall 


Birth  to  Brotherly  Love  Indispensable  37 

be  born  unto  God.  Receptivity  of  the  'seed*  is  neces- 
sary, in  grace  as  in  nature.  No  seed,  no  child.  No 
Gospel,  no  birth  unto  God.  The  Word  is  living  and 
quickening  to  the  receiver  thereof  by  faith." 

"Tell  me  more  about  this  new  birth,  this  new  crea- 
tion. How  may  one  know  that  he  is  of  the  re-born? 
Who  are  the  re-born  ?  What  are  the  certain  marks — 
to  themselves,  and  to  those  who  have  business  with 
them?" 

"John,  there  are  three  great  distinguishing  marks 
of  the  regenerate  mentioned  in  Holy  Scripture.  They 
are :  1,  Faith  in  Jesus  as  the  Son  of  God,  the  Christ, 
and  our  Saviour  and  Lord;  2,  Righteousness — per- 
sonal rectitude  and  justice  to  others ;  3,  Love  of  the 
Christian  Brotherhood  and  of  all  mankind,  proved  by 
devotion  and  benevolent  service.  These  are  the  tests 
whereby  to  know  the  manner  of  men  we  are.  They 
are  God's  descriptions  of  His  sons.  By  these  traits 
the  children  of  God  are  manifest.  And  it  is  our  most 
solemn  duty  to  compare  ourselves  with  this  stand- 
ard and  see  if  we  match  it,  in  spirit  and  in  letter." 

"Would  you  be  at  the  trouble  to  inform  any  one 
not  acquainted  with  what  God  explicitly  says  on  these 
conduct-  or  character-marks,  as  proofs  of  Divine 
sonship,  or  birth  again,  in  the  very  words  of  the 
Testimony." 

"No  trouble,  John.  It  is  my  message  as  an  ambas- 
sador of  Heaven.  My  life-business  is  to  teach  it. 
Concerning  then:  (1)  Faith  in  Jesus  as  the  Son  of 
God,  the  Christ,  and  our  Saviour  and  Lord.  The 
Lord  God  Almighty,  the  living  Father,  having  loved 
us,  begat  a  son,  Jesus,  of  a  virgin,  Mary,  and  gave 
this  His  Son  to  us  to  be  our  Saviour  and  Lord, 
anointing  Him  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  with  power 
as  none  was  ever  anointed.  Jesus  gave  many  proofs 
that  He  was  God's  Son,  and  able  to  do  everything  for 
us  that  we  need.  He  expiated  our  sins  upon  a  cross ; 


38     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

He  arose  and  ascended  into  heaven,  as  our  mediator ; 
He  lives  to  raise  all  who  believe  in  Him  and  bring 
them  with  great  gladness  into  a  kingdom  of  glory, 
which  He  will  establish  in  an  age  not  far  distant. 
Believing  His  claim  and  putting  confidence  in  Him, 
we  are  born  again — begin  a  new  life  of  faith,  live  as 
believers  and  expectants,  Christ  being  formed  within 
us  the  hope  of  glory.  It  is  quite  a  new  and  unique 
existence,  this  life  of  faith  and  hope  in  the  Son  of 
God.  Moreover,  it  embraces  obedience  to  Jesus  as 
Lord  and  Master,  whose  commandments  are  abso- 
lutely binding  upon  us.  This  faith  in  Christ  must 
be  supplemented  by  an  open  acknowledgment  and 
commitment  to  Him,  and  the  ordinance  of  baptism  is 
instituted  for  that  purpose.  Scripture  says :  With 
the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness  and  with 
the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation.'  We 
read  concerning  faith  and  the  new  birth: 

"  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ  is  born  of  God.' 

"  'To  as  many  as  received  Him  [Jesus]  to 
them  gave  He  power  [privilege  or  right]  to  be- 
come the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe 
on  His  name/ 

"  'Ye  are  all  the  children  of  God,  by  faith  in 
Christ  Jesus.  For  as  many  of  you  as  have  been 
baptized  into  Christ  have  put  on  Christ.' 

"  'The  life  that  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live 
by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me, 
and  gave  Himself  for  me/ 

"Faith  is  life;  life  of  the  highest  kind.  It  is  re- 
demption; it  is  communion.  It  is  peace  and  hope. 
All  of  the  Father's  love  in  giving  His  Son,  and  of 
Jesus'  love  in  giving  His  life.  Coming  into  union 
with  Jesus  the  Christ,  we  are  quickened.  We  are  no 


Birth  to  Brotherly  Love  Indispensable    39 

longer  dead  in  ignorance,  sin  and  despair ;  but  alive, 
in  knowledge,  righteousness  and  hope." 

"Tell  me,  Dad,  now,  about  righteousness — upright- 
ness, justice — as  a  mark  of  the  new  birth  from  above 
and  of  a  child's  standing  with  God." 

"Hear  the  Scriptures,  in  answer  to  your  request: 

"  'Ye  know  [or  know  ye]  that  every  one  that 
ddeth  righteousness  is  born  of  God.' 

"  'He  that  committeth  sin  is  of  the  devil.  .  .  . 
Whosoever  is  born  of  God  doth  not  commit  sin ; 
for  His  seed  remaineth  in  him,  and  he  cannot 
sin  because  he  is  born  of  God.  In  this  the  chil- 
dren of  God  are  manifest,  and  the  children  of 
the  devil :  whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness  is 
not  of  God,  neither  he  that  loveth  not  his 
brother/ 

"A  life  disregardful  of  all  that  is  just  or  righteous 
in  our  personal  conduct  or  in  our  transactions  with 
the  business-world  is  a  certain  sign  that  we  know 
not  God  as  partakers  of  His  nature ;  while  a  scrupu- 
lously truthful,  just  and  fair  course  with  others, 
faith  and  love  also  being  present,  is  as  infallible  a 
sign  of  being  God's  as  we  can  have;  since  God  and 
His  laws  are  all  there  is  to  righteousness.  His  laws 
written  in  our  affections — 'holy,  and  just,  and  good' 
— give  us  kindred  standing  with  Himself." 

"Tell  me  now  about  the  third  mark  of  the  new- 
born,  the  men  and  women  who  belong  to  the  family 
of  God  by  second  begettal.  You  said  it  was  Love." 

"I  did,  John ;  and  love  is  as  essential  as  faith  and 
righteousness  to  be  a  child  of  light.  Nobody  who 
is  evangelical  would  say  that  faith  in  Jesus  can  be 
omitted  and  a  man  be  alive  to  God — His  child.  Nor 
would  any  claim  that  righteousness — just  principle 
and  action — can  be  absent  and  a  man  be  God-related. 
Neither  can  a  human  being  who  has  the  former  be 


40     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

minus  love  and  yet  be  of  the  children  who  form 
the  household  of  Heaven.  Love  is  as  striking  a  fea- 
ture of  the  heavenly  lineaments  as  any  that  exist. 
Resemblance  to  God  in  love  is  highest  attraction; 
love  is  the  greatest  of  the  graces.  It  is  cement  to  a 
Society  of  mutual  helpers ;  a  granite  foundation  that 
endures.  God  owns  for  His — and  they  are  His — 
the  men  who  have  purified  their  souls  from  selfish- 
ness through  obedience  to  the  truth,  to  unfeigned 
love  of  the  brethren.  O  to  be  thus  purified  from  that 
self  —  self-love,  self-seeking,  self-serving  —  that 
makes  the  heart  a  sink  of  impurity !  Hear  it :  love 
is  the  grace  that  does  the  work,  now  and  for  ever. 
The  Holy  Word  dwells  much  upon  love.  Hear  it 
speak : 

"  'Beloved,  let  us  love  one  another;  for  love  is 
of  God ;  and  every  one  that  loveth  is  born  of  God, 
and  knoweth  God/ 

"  'He  that  doeth  not  righteousness  is  not  of 
God,  neither  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother.' 

"  'He  that  loveth  not  his  brother  abideth  in 

death.' 

"Faith,  righteousness,  love — indivisible  trinity. 
God  claims  every  soul  of  man  possessed  and  ruled 
by  these  principles.  He  says,  they  got  them  from 
Himself.  He  says  He  lives  in  them.  How  beauti- 
ful! 'he  that  dwelleth  in  love  dwelleth  in  God,  and 
God  in  him!'  New  creaturehood !  renewed  manhood, 
after  the  image  of  the  all-perfect  Father  and  Son! 
such  beings  are  fit,  are  prepared  for  every  good  fel- 
lowship and  work.  As  members  of  a  united  co-op- 
erative Society  they  will  not  disappoint  one  another's 
confidence.  Set  it  down  as  immutable  truth — re- 
creation to  lovingness,  renewal  to  brotherly  affec- 
tion, is  indispensable  for  the  Christian  Society  life; 
only  to  such  re-born  individuals  would  it  be  satis- 
factory, but  for  such  it  is  needful. 


CHAPTER  in. 

Tears  Over  the  Injustices  and  Distress  of  the 

World 


"As  clouds  are  sometimes  heavy  with  rain,  so, 
John,  is  my  heart  with  sorrow.  0  if  I  could  but  cry 
and  be  relieved." 

"What  makes  you  so  sad,  dear  Dad?  Your  face  is 
often  lighted  as  though  touched  by  the  glory  of  the 
better  world." 

"True,  my  son;  I  know  the  joy  of  the  saved,  the 
joy  also  of  fellowship  with  God.  It  is  exquisite,  ex- 
quisite !  Others  may  fight  ecstasy ;  but  not  I.  With 
David  I  can  say,  Thou,  Lord,  hast  made  me  glad 
through  Thy  works/  God's  works  of  creation,  pro- 
vision, redemption,  transformation  are  rivers  from 
which  I  am  ever  drinking.  But  there  is  another  side, 
another  experience,  and  it  is  heartbreaking.  Only 
an  occasional  freshet  of  tears  can  make  it  bearable. 
The  sons  of  Belial  are  too  hard  for  me.  Their  do- 
ings move  me  to  grief.  And  even  brethren  of  the 
Faith — ah,  God!  that  you  would  give  them  a  heart 
of  flesh ! — their  hardness  has  not  passed ;  often  they 
are  such  unbrotherly  brothers !" 

"Good  Dad,  tears  are  not  popular  to-day.  Even 
preachers  encourage  the  philosophic  spirit,  which  is 
cold  and  dry-eyed.  It  is  thought  soft  and  effeminate 
to  weep.  And  so  restraint  is  put  upon  the  emo- 
tions." 


42     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"Yes,  child,  I  am  aware  of  it,  and  miss  it  greatly. 
The  tenderness  and  sympathy  of  my  boyhood  days  I 
have  not  seen  in  years.  I  recall  my  good  old  father, 
a  saint  in  every  relation,  and  how  fervently  he 
preached,  the  tears  meanwhile  running  down  his 
cheeks.  He  knew  what  he  said  was  true ;  his  themes 
were  intense  realities ;  and  in  warning  and  entreaty 
he  melted  with  emotion." 

"I,  too,  remember,  dear  Dad,  the  effect  of  such 
vivid  seeing  and  feeling,  how  whole  congregations 
were  bowed  in  contrition,  to 

'Weep,  believe,  and  sin  no  more.' 

"They  were  'stirred"  in  spirit;  and  stirred  means  a 
world  more  than  a  slight  movement  upon  the  sur- 
face, making  only  for  greater  outside  decency." 

"Yes,  John,  there  was  Evan  Roberts,  the  Welsh 
revivalist.  One  day  he  went  to  a  meeting-house  to 
preach.  Going  up  into  the  pulpit  he  fell  upon  his 
knees,  and  putting  his  face  between  his  hands  he 
began  to  cry.  His  realization  of  the  horribleness 
of  sin  and  the  terror  of  the  judgment-day  over- 
whelmed him,  and  he  sobbed  because  of  the  impeni- 
tence of  men.  His  lamentations  increased  like  an  in- 
creasing storm.  Presently  one  up  in  the  gallery 
joined  him;  then  there  was  a  cry  downstairs  in  the 
body  of  the  house.  In  a  few  minutes  the  whole  con- 
gregation was  confessing  and  supplicating  the  divine 
mercy.  Great  strong  men  who  were  as  hard  as  iron 
fell  on  their  faces.  There  was  no  sermon  that  night, 
but  there  were  many  conversions,  for  the  Lord  had 
poured  upon  the  people  the  spirit  of  grace  and  of  sup- 
plication." 

"Dad,  what  makes  you  sad?" 

"Several  things:  (1)  The  selfishness  and  cruelty 
of  men  toward  one  another;  (2)  The  wrong  done  to 
God,  the  violation  of  His  laws  of  justice,  the  ingrati- 


Tears  Over  Bad  World-Conditions      43 

tude  of  the  world  for  His  goodness  and  merciful 
kindness;  (3)  The  miseries  which  most  men  suffer, 
without  ability  to  deliver  themselves  or  a  friend  to 
help  them;  (4)  The  anger  of  God  threatened  the 
ungodly  and  disobedient;  (5)  Especially,  the  apos- 
tate condition  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  the  re- 
proach cast  upon  her  for  her  ^^Christianity." 

"Well,  these  are  dreadful,  dear  Dad,  and  even  I, 
with  not  nearly  your  experience,  know  they  are  not 
imaginary." 

"Imaginary?  no,  child;  would  to  God  there  was  no 
truth  to  these  saddening  things ;  they  are  subjects  of 
newspaper  record  and  of  personal  knowledge.  I 
think  first  of  the  Church.  Naturally,  being  a  Chris- 
tian myself,  a  member  of  the  Lord's  congregation, 
one  of  His  people,  my  first  interest  is  in  the  Church 
and  her  prosperity,  heavenly  and  earthly  (so  far  as 
she  has  need  to  use  the  earth).  I  am  solicitous  and 
exercised  not  only  for  her  welfare  as  a  whole,  but 
for  her  every  member  individually.  Not  for  the 
leaders  merely,  but  for  the  led;  the  sheep  with  the 
shepherds.  The  most  obscure,  the  weakest,  the  least 
of  the  flock,  is  to  me  of  as  much  account  to  receive 
consideration  and  help  as  the  preacher.  Now,  the 
Church  of  to-day  is  to  me  a  great  problem  and  a  very 
unsatisfactory  institution.  The  confessing  host  of 
God  is  a  bundle  of  factions,  instead  of  a  divine  unity. 
Each  faction  has  its  special  interests  and  seeks  pres- 
tige for  itself  among  men.  The  strife  goes  on  per- 
petually, to  have  the  best  edifice  (house  of  worship) , 
the  most  polished  and  eloquent  preacher.  And  when 
one  body  reaches  the  top  it  crows  with  all  the  self- 
satisfaction  of  a  hen  that  has  laid  an  egg.  For  ex- 
ample, Bishop  Hamilton,  before  he  left  the  Pacific 
Coast,  so  I  read  in  an  address,  scored  the  point  that 
when  he  came  to  California  the  Presbyterians  had 
the  prestige,  but  that  at  his  departure  the  Metho- 


44     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

dists  had  gained  first  place  and  exercised  chief  in- 
fluence. His  glory  was  shame.  A  good  man  who 
had  served  only  Christ  would  have  mentioned  many 
turned  to  righteousness,  many  added  to  the  Lord. 
But  a  denominationalist  has  "my  church"  upon  the 
brain.  I  grieve  that  growth  of  a  division  can  be  joy 
to  any  one  called  after  Christ.  A  story  is  told  by 
Dr.  Gabbelin  of  a  new  family  in  a  city  neighborhood. 
The  mother  sent  her  son  to  Sunday  School.  On  his 
return  home  she  asked  him  what  the  teacher  had  said 
to  him.  The  little  fellow  replied :  'He  asked  me  what 
abomination  I  belonged  to.'  I  am  sad  that  believers 
in  Christ,  after  so  many  years,  have  got  no  farther 
than  to  'agree  to  disagree/  If  each  body  made  up 
its  mind  to  come  to  an  understanding  with  the  rest 
unity  could  be  restored,  on  the  basis  of  love  to  God 
and  Christ  and  forbearance  of  one  another  in  things 
about  which  they  differ,  till  God  should  enable  them 
to  see  eye  to  eye." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  painful,  and  as  scandalous  as 
painful,  to  have  followers  of  one  Master  unable  to 
find  a  basis  of  agreement,  a  working  unity." 

"Yes,  my  son,  but  that  is  not  all :  these  bodies  are 
so  far  away  from  the  original  pattern  of  a  church 
of  Christ  that  one  has  to  reject  them  as  repre- 
sentative of  the  primitive  Brotherhood  in  collective 
relationship." 

"Dad,  it  is  certainly  so.  And  what  amazes  me  is 
that  hardly  anybody  takes  it  to  heart ;  in  truth,  they 
do  not  see  it — they  do  not  realize  the  apostasy.  And 
if  one  points  it  out  he  is  accused  of  being  a  'knocker/ 
and  railed  at  as  a  pessimist  and  a  disturber.  Grief 
unspeakable !  'having  eyes  they  see  not/  " 

"Dear  John,  eyes  that  see  and  hearts  that  feel  is 
the  first  need  of  humanity.  Reformation  always  be- 
gins this  way.  I  think  of  Nehemiah  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  what  I  say.  You  may  remember,  his  interest 


Tears  Over  Bad  World-Conditions      45 

did  not  end  with  his  own  personal  well-being.  As 
chief  butler  in  the  royal  palace  of  Shushan,  the  capi- 
tal of  Persia,  and  waiter  upon  King  Artaxerxes,  his 
rank  and  pay  gave  him  place  and  means  calculated 
to  satisfy  any  man  not  a  man  re-born  in  Christ  to 
live  His  life  toward  others ;  and  most  men,  judging 
by  those  we  know,  in  such  circumstances  would  not 
have  troubled  to  be  active  and  at  pains  for  others. 
But  Nehemiah  had  a  heart  of  love  for  his  brethren ; 
and  so  when  Hanani,  his  brother,  accompanied  by  a 
few  others,  came  from  Jerusalem  to  visit  him,  he  in- 
quired of  them  earnestly  about  the  remnant  who 
were  left  in  Judea  and  their  condition,  and  concern- 
ing the  city  of  Jerusalem,  which  had  been  sacked 
and  demolished  and  the  gates  of  which  had  been 
burned ;  and  when  he  knew  the  whole  pitiful  story  of 
the  great  affliction  of  his  kinsmen,  by  raid  and  op- 
pression and  reproach  of  the  surrounding  peoples, 
he  was  distressed  even  to  tears.  He  writes  thus  of 
himself,  'When  I  had  heard  these  words,  I  sat  down 
and  wept,  and  mourned  certain  days  and  fasted  and 
prayed  before  the  God  of  heaven/  In  his  prayer, 
confessing  sin,  acknowledging  that  the  punishment 
visited  was  just,  he  pleaded  for  merciful  dealings 
from  God,  entreating  that  God  would  give  him 
favor  with  the  king,  so  that  he  would  grant  him  a 
vacation  to  go  to  Jerusalem  and  do  all  that  was  neces- 
sary to  restore  comfort  and  prosperity  to  his  people. 
The  outcome  we  know — the  Holy  City,  her  people 
and  her  worship  were  established  again  in  safety  and 
joy.  Yes,  eyes  to  see  existing  misery,  together  with 
a  heart  to  feel  it,  and  resolution  to  plan  and  work 
for  a  change,  is  what  is  needed  first  of  all  in  those 
who  would  be  saviours  under  our  great  and  ador- 
able Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus.  God  means  us  to  go 
through  life  in  Observation  Car,  and  to  look  out 
and  see  what  is  needed  to  be  done.  Sleeping  Car  is 


46     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

for  the  dead ;  or  for  men  only  when  they  reach  that 
condition  called  'Night/  in  which,  Jesus  says,  'no 
man  can  work.'  " 

"Yes,  Dad,  to  will  to  see  is  essential.  God's  sent 
servants,  the  prophets,  have  all  been  seers;  and  in 
their  seeing  they  have  sorrowed,  sometimes  nearly 
to  death.  How  could  they  live  unmoved  by  what  they 
visualized?  They  have  also  at  times  rejoiced;  but  in 
this  world  where  sin  reigns  there  are  countless 
causes  for  sympathetic  grief;  and  they  have  wept 
with  those  who  weep,  and  often  for  those  who  shed 
no  tears  for  themselves." 

"John,  I  was  thinking  lately  of  how  seeing  became 
a  factor  in  the  life  of  Jesus,  bringing  deliverance  to 
many.  There  is,  for  example,  the  touching  account 
of  the  widow  who  was  taking  her  son  to  the  sepul- 
chre to  be  buried.  But  Jesus  happened  along  at  the 
time,  and  'when  the  Lord  saw  her  He  had  compas- 
sion on  her,  and  said,  Weep  not !'  And  then  He  raised 
up  the  young  man  alive  and  gave  him  back  to  'mother 
dear/  When  Jesus  saw  certain  blind  men,  He  was 
moved  with  compassion — and  it  meant  for  them 
sight.  The  palsied  man  let  down  through  the  roof 
into  the  room  where  Jesus  was  benefitted  as  Jesus 
'saw*  the  faith  of  his  friends  who  loved  him  enough 
to  bring  him  to  the  Saviour.  There  are  many  such 
cases  in  Holy  Writ.  Why,  it  was  what  Jesus  'saw' 
that  'moved'  Him,  and  brought  out  His  great  help- 
fulness. Looking,  seeing,  induced  to  action  of  bless- 
ing. As  Jeremiah  long  ago  had  said,  'Mine  eye  af- 
fecteth  my  heart.'  O  it  is  first  seeing,  directing 
one's  eyes  to  what  is  going  on  about  us,  that  does 
the  work — unless  there  is  a  cold,  flinty  heart  of  un- 
concern behind:  if  such  be  the  case,  the  most  that 
results  is  profession  of  sympathy.  Did  you  ever 
observe  how  all  the  holy  prophets  took  things  to 
heart?  They  were  an  impressible  lot,  as  every  man 


Tears  Over  Bad  World-Conditions      47 

is  who  is  born  again.  It  is  one  of  the  assurances 
that  we  are  alive,  that  we  feel." 

"Will  you,  dear  Dad,  please  tell  me  about  the 
prophets  and  their  sensitive  hearts." 

"I  will,  with  gladness ;  and  I  pray  that  we  may  be 
as  they  were — as  impressible,  as  righteously  and  as 
kindly  moved.  Of  Nehemiah  I  have  already  spoken. 
Let  me  now  mention  Jeremiah,  who  because  of  his 
crying  so  much  is  called  'the  weeping  prophet.' 
What  a  feeling  man  he  was !  I  heard  censure  passed 
upon  him  recently.  A  city  pastor  discoursed  upon 
the  topic  'Discouraged  Men/  Love  requires  of  us 
that  we  believe  all  things  good  to  the  limit  of  possi- 
bility of  our  fellows,  and  so  I  will  not  think  that  said 
pastor  intended  false  accusation  or  irreverence  to- 
ward Jeremiah,  but  certainly  his  lips  greatly  trans- 
gressed. He  mentioned  Jeremiah  as  a  discouraged 
man,  and  proceeded  in  the  following  strain :  'Of  all 
discouraged  men  a  discouraged  minister  is  the  worst. 
When  a  minister  becomes  discouraged  he  should 
come  down  from  his  pulpit.  Jeremiah  was  such  a 
man ;  and  God  had  to  send  him  to  the  potter's  house 
to  cure  him  of  his  despondency.  What  was  the  trou- 
ble with  Jeremiah?  He  cried  too  much!  Think  of  a 
man  saying,  '0  that  my  head  were  waters,  and  mine 
eyes  a  fountain  of  tears !'  Think  of  a  man  talking 
about  'crying  day  and  night!'  Thus  was  God's 
holy  prophet  abused  by  one  who  called  himself  a  min- 
ister of  Christ,  and  of  whom  probably  nobody  could 
say  that  he  cried  too  much ;  or  perhaps  that  he  cried 
enough;  or  possibly  that  he  cried  at  all!  It  was 
atrocious !" 

"Dad,  although  Jeremiah  did  once  say  that  he 
would  not  speak  to  the  people  again  in  God's  name, 
it  was,  as  I  take  it,  not  so  much  from  discouragement 
as  from  knowledge  of  its  utter  uselessness.  God 
had  commanded  him  to  pray  no  more  for  them,  for 


48     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

His  mind  could  not  be  toward  them;  and  Jeremiah 
testifies  that  the  word  he  spake  was  made  a  reproach 
unto  him  and  a  derision  daily.  To  say  that  he  would 
not  mention  God  to  them  again,  nor  serve  as  His 
prophet  toward  them  any  longer,  was  not  discour- 
agement. But  were  it  so,  he  did  not  after  all  re- 
frain ;  for,  he  said,  'His  word  was  in  my  heart,  as  a 
burning  fire  shut  up  in  my  bones,  and  I  was  heavy 
with  forbearing,  and  I  could  not  stay  [from  testi- 
mony]*. Besides,  the  speaker  was  wrong  in  his 
'facts/  for  it  was  four  years  later  that  the  Lord 
ordered  him  down  to  the  potter's  house,  and  he  had 
long  gotten  over  his  momentary  decision  not  to  pro- 
phesy again ;  and  it  was  not  to  give  him  courage  that 
God  sent  him  down  to  the  potter's  house." 

"Of  course,  John,  his  crying  was  not  for  the  reason 
alleged.  It  is  pure  defamation  of  a  very  holy  char- 
acter. The  truth  is,  he  had  such  a  sensitive  heart 
for  the  rights  and  honor  of  God,  and  such  love  for 
his  people,  and  distress  in  view  of  the  Babylonian 
invasion  and  captivity,  that  tears  were  his  meat  day 
and  night — he  had  spells  of  grief  that  he  could  not 
restrain.  There  is  nothing  like  it  to-day.  Nobody 
cries  much ;  at  least  not  in  Los  Angeles.  The  usual 
slightly  passionate  even  to  airy  way  that  wrongs  are 
referred  to.  shows  there  is  generally  no  root  in  the 
heart  to  the  words  on  the  tongue.  Indeed,  not  long 
ago,  in  one  of  the  largest  churches  of  the  city,  a 
serious,  ruinous  matter,  to  the  victim,  was  made  a 
jest,  which  was  responded  to  with  a  titter  through- 
out the  congregation.  The  speaker  was  alluding  to 
'East  and  West/  and  comparing  them  together.  A 
poem  was  improvised  for  the  purpose,  'Out  West/ 
it  said,  the  sky  was  a  little  bluer,  the  sun  a  little 
brighter,  the  grass  a  little  greener  than  in  the  East. 
It  finally  wound  up,  that  one  coming  here  is  getting 
more  than  he  is  giving;  at  which  the  reverend  (or 


Tears  Over  Bad  World-Conditions      49 

irreverend)  speaker  said,  with  merry  face  and  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye,  'Except  in  real  estate  deals;  but 
when  you  write  home  to  your  friends  don't  tell  them 
that  I  said  so!'  There  were  those  present  who  had 
suffered  unspeakably  from  the  real  estate  swindler, 
who  had  been  impoverished  to  the  point  of  destitu- 
tion, and  it  was  indeed  no  joke  to  them !  The  proph- 
ets never  were  in  a  light  vein  over  sin  and  wrong. 
Jeremiah  ivept  because  of  sin  and  coming  judgment; 
his  eyes  brimmed  and  overflowed  in  supplication  for 
his  people's  forgiveness." 

"I  do  think,  with  you,  that  tears  such  as  Jeremiah 
shed  are  most  precious  in  God's  sight  and  nothing 
to  be  reproved.  I  am  sure  the  present  unrighteous- 
ness of  business  and  the  numerous  economic  wrongs 
would  awaken  grief  in  such  a  heart,  and  should  make 
every  reputedly  good  man  of  our  time  a  second  Jere- 
miah, in  sorrow  and  denunciation." 

"John,  let  me  show  you  Jeremiah,  as  he  was.  Like 
the  Apostle  Paul,  he  served  God  day  and  night  with 
many  tears;  he  ceased  not  to  warn  sinners,  weep- 
ing as  he  exhorted.  Never  was  there  such  pathos! 
'Mine  eye  runneth  down  with  rivers  of  water  for  the 
destruction  of  the  daughter  of  my  people.  Mine  eye 
trickleth  down  and  ceaseth  not,  without  any  inter- 
mission, till  the  Lord  look  down  and  behold  it  from 
heaven.  Mine  eye  affecteth  my  heart,  because  of  all 
the  daughters  of  my  city.'  'Mine  eyes  do  fail  with 
tears,  my  bowels  are  troubled,  my  liver  is  poured  upon 
the  earth  for  the  destruction  of  the  daughter  of  my 
people ;  because  the  children  and  the  sucklings  swoon 
in  the  streets  of  the  city.  They  say  to  their  mothers, 
Where  is  corn  and  wine?  when  they  swooned  as  the 
wounded  in  the  streets  of  the  city,  when  their  soul 
was  poured  out  into  their  mothers'  bosom.'  'How 
doth  the  city  sit  solitary  that  was  full  of  people! 
how  is  she  become  a  widow!  she  that  was  great 


50     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

among  the  nations  and  princess  among  the  provinces, 
how  is  she  become  tributary !  she  weepeth  sore  in  the 
night,  and  her  tears  are  upon  her  cheeks :  among  all 
her  lovers  she  hath  none  to  comfort  her.  .  .  . 
Judah  is  gone  into  captivity  because  of  affliction  and 
because  of  great  servitude ;  she  dwelleth  among  the 
heathen,  she  findeth  no  rest.  .  .  .  For  these 
things  I  weep ;  mine  eye,  mine  eye  runneth  down  with 
water,  because  the  comforter  that  should  relieve  my 
soul  is  far  from  me:  my  children  are  desolate,  be- 
cause the  enemy  prevailed/  'Hear  ye,  and  give  ye 
ear;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken.  Give  glory  to  the 
Lord  your  God  before  He  cause  darkness  and  before 
your  feet  stumble  upon  the  dark  mountains.  .  .  . 
But  if  ye  will  not  hear  it,  my  soul  shall  weep  in  secret 
places  for  your  pride ;  and  mine  eye  shall  weep  sore, 
and  run  down  with  tears,  because  the  Lord's  flock  is 
carried  away  captive/  'Oh,  that  my  head  were 
waters,  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I 
might  weep  day  and  night  for  the  slain  of  the 
daughter  of  my  people!  .  .  .  They  bend  their 
tongues  like  their  bows  for  lies:  but  they  are  not 
valiant  for  the  truth  upon  the  earth;  for  they  pro- 
ceed from  evil  to  evil,  and  they  know  not  Me,  saith 
the  Lord.  Take  ye  heed  every  one  of  his  neighbor, 
and  trust  ye  not  in  any  brother;  for  every  brother 
will  utterly  supplant,  and  every  neighbor  will  walk 
with  slanders.'  Jeremiah  calls  them  also  to  weep  for 
their  own  'sins.  O  that  there  were  some  Jeremiahs 
to-day!" 

"There  would  be,  dear  Dad,  if  men  had  not  so 
many  things  of  their  own  selfishness  to  occupy  them. 
Usually  one  is  answered,  if  he  comes  to  speak  of  a 
pressing  case  of  need,  'I  am  very  busy,  and  have  not 
the  time  to  look  into  the  matter." 

"John,  shall  I  continue  and  tell  you  of  other  Bible 


Tears  Over  Bad  World-Conditions      51 

personages  who  saw  and  were  affected — an  example 
for  us  who  live  in  this  day?" 

"Yes,  continue,  and  refresh  my  memory  with  this 
mark  of  holiest  living;  for  I  confess  to  you,  I  could 
myself  be  softer  to  human  wrongs  and  misery  than 
I  am,  to  my  own  good  and  the  good  of  others." 

"Hear  me,  then,  as  I  pass  in  line  before  you  other 
weeping  saints.  We  will  begin  with  Job,  the  patri- 
arch of  Uz.  The  afflictions  of  Job  extended  to  every- 
thing but  his  life.  His  friends  became  accusers ;  but 
he  answered  them  nobly,  saying,  'Miserable  comfort- 
ers are  ye  all.  ...  I  also  could  speak  as  ye  do : 
if  your  soul  were  in  my  soul's  stead,  I  could  heap  up 
words  against  you,  and  shake  mine  head  at  you.  But 
I  would  strengthen  you  with  my  mouth,  and  the 
moving  of  my  lips  should  assuage  your  grief!'  A 
weeper  for  others  was  Job.  He  says  of  himself: 
'Did  not  I  weep  for  him  that  was  in  trouble?  was 
not  my  soul  grieved  for  the  poor?'  None  could  an- 
swer this  challenge  with  Nay. 

"David,  too,  was  of  the  same  company.  He 
mourned  the  oppressions  of  the  enemy — there  were 
men  who  made  him  grief  (Ps.  42:  9,  10;  43:  1,  2). 
But  he  also  mourned  for  God's  sake,  for  the  slight 
and  presumption  of  the  wicked.  'I  beheld/  said  he 
'the  transgressors  and  was  grieved,  because  they 
kept  not  Thy  word/  'They  speak  against  Thee  wick- 
edly, and  thine  enemies  take  Thy  name  in  vain.  Do 
not  I  hate  them,  0  Lord,  that  hate  Thee  ?  and  am  not 
I  grieved  with  those  that  rise  up  against  Thee?  I 
hate  them  with  perfect  hatred;  I  count  them  mine 
enemies/  'Rivers  of  waters  run  down  mine  eyes,  be- 
cause they  keep  not  Thy  law/ 

"Ezekiel  likewise  was  of  the  emotive  in  regard  to 
others.  A  remarkable  command  had  he  from  God 
to  'sigh*  before  the  nation-  in  respect  of  coming 
wrath.  'I,  the  Lord,  have  drawn  forth  my  sword 


52     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

out  of  its  sheath ;  it  shall  not  return  any  more.  Sigh, 
therefore,  thou  son  of  man,  with  the  breaking  of  thy 
loins;  and  with  bitterness  sigh,  before  their  eyes. 
And  it  shall  be,  when  they  say  unto  thee,  Wherefore 
sighest  thou?  that  thou  shalt  answer,  For  the  tid- 
ings ;  because  it  cometh ;  and  every  heart  shall  melt, 
and  all  hands  shall  be  feeble,  and  every  spirit  shall 
faint,  and  all  knees  shall  be  weak  as  water;  behold, 
it  cometh,  and  shall  be  brought  to  pass,  saith  the 
Lord/  And  recall  the  man  with  the  ink-horn,  of 
whom  I  will  speak  later. 

"Micah  is  another  prophet  with  the  mournful 
spirit.  'Hear,  all  ye  people;  hearken,  0  earth,  and 
all  that  therein  is:  and  let  the  Lord  be  witness 
against  you,  the  Lord  from  His  holy  temple.  For, 
behold,  the  Lord  cometh  forth  out  of  His  place,  and 
will  come  down,  and  tread  upon  the  high  places  of 
the  earth.  And  the  mountains  shall  be  molten  under 
Him,  and  the  valleys  shall  be  cleft.  For  the  trans- 
gression of  Jacob  is  all  this,  and  for  the  sins  of  the 
house  of  Israel.  .  .  .  Therefore  I  will  wail  and 
howl,  I  will  go  stripped  and  naked.  I  will  make  a 
wailing  like  the  dragons,  and  mourning  as  the  owls. 
For  her  wound  is  incurable;  for  it  is  come  unto 
Judah ;  he  is  come  unto  the  gate  of  my  people,  even 
to  Jerusalem.' 

"Daniel  must  likewise  be  included  with  the  weep- 
ing intercessors.  He  says :  'I  set  my  face  unto  the 
Lord  God,  to  seek  by  prayer,  and  supplications,  with 
fasting,  and  sackcloth  and  ashes ;  and  I  prayed  unto 
God,  and  made  my  confession,  and  said/  etc.  (here 
follows  confession  of  Israel's  sin  and  strong  plead- 
ings for  God  to  pardon).  And  again  he  says:  'In 
those  days  I  was  mourning  three  full  weeks.  I  ate 
no  pleasant  bread,  neither  came  flesh  nor  wine  in  my 


Tears  Over  Bad  World-Conditions      53 

mouth,  neither  did  I  anoint  myself  at  all,  till  three 
whole  weeks  were  fulfilled." 

"Joel — he  must  not  be  left  out.  '0  Lord,  to  Thee 
will  I  cry ;  for  the  fire  hath  devoured  the  pastures  of 
the  wilderness,  and  the  flame  hath  burned  up  all  the 
trees  of  the  field/  A  dreadful  scene  of  judgment  is 
depicted  in  Chapter  I,  and  Joel  calls  the  priests  to 
weeping.  'Gird  yourselves,  and  lament,  ye  priests; 
howl,  ye  ministers  of  the  altar :  come,  lie  all  night  in 
sackcloth,  ye  ministers  of  my  God.  Alas  for  the  day ! 
for  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand,  and  as  a  destruc- 
tion from  the  Almighty  shall  it  come/  'Let  the 
priests,  the  ministers  of  the  Lord,  weep  between  the 
porch  and  the  altar,  and  let  them  say,  Spare  Thy 
people,  0  Lord,  and  give  not  Thine  heritage  to  re- 
proach, that  the  heathen  should  rule  over  them/ 

"Habakkuk  is  one  of  the  interested  with  a  deep 
heart-interest:  '0  Lord,  how  long  shall  I  cry,  and 
Thou  wilt  not  hear!  even  cry  unto  Thee  out  of  vio- 
lence, and  Thou  will  .not  save !  Why  dost  Thou  show 
me  iniquity,  and  cause  me  to  behold  grievance?  for 
spoiling  and  violence  are  before  me;  and  there  are 
that  raise  up  strife  and  contention.  Therefore  the 
law  is  slacked  and  judgment  doth  never  go  forth; 
for  the  wicked  doth  compass  about  the  righteous; 
therefore  wrong  judgment  proceedeth/ 

"Zechariah  is  not  to  be  forgotten,  who  sent  Shere- 
zer  and  Regemmelech  to  the  house  of  God  'to  pray 
before  the  Lord*  and  to  inquire,  'Should  I  weep  in 
the  fifth  month,  separating  myself,  as  I  have  done 
these  many  years?' 

"And — for  I  must  desist  that  I  may  not  tire  you — 
should  not  the  Lord  Jesus,  above  all,  be  mentioned? 
It  is  written  of  Him  'He  sighed  deeply  in  His  spirit' ; 
and  again,  'looking  up  to  heaven,  He  sighed/  And, 
beholding  the  coming  of  the  Roman  army  and  the 


54     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

fall  of  Jerusalem,  her  wall  razed  to  the  ground,  Jesus 
wept.  'When  He  was  come  near  He  beheld  the  city 
and  wept  over  it,  saying,  If  thou  hadst  known,  even 
thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  which 
belong  unto  thy  peace!  but  now  they  are  hid  from 
thine  eyes/  " 

"John,  you  may  say,  Why  have  you  assembled  all 
this  army,  this  noble  army  of  holy  weepers — who 
weep  for  God  and  humanity!" 

"Yes,  dear  Dad,  why  ? — although  I  have  some  idea 
why." 

"Because,  child,  there  is  much  to  be  wept  over  to- 
day; and  only  if  God  shall  cause  the  ministry  to  see 
it,  and  to  become  interested  to  the  extent  of  the 
breaking  up  of  their  own  hearts,  can  anything  be 
hoped  of  them  to  bestir  themselves  to  bring  relief  to 
the  millions  who  rarely  see  joy,  and  who  ask,  'Where 
in  the  world  can  I  find  a  man  who  will  be  to  me  a 
friend  and  a  brother?'  This  is  an  evil  age;  but  many 
evils  are  curable,  if  a  physician  will  apply  the  rem- 
edy. And  may  the  world  have  to  say  of  some  man 
upon  whom  God  shall  pour  grace  for  the  work,  as 
the  people  said  of  Nehemiah  of  old :  'There  is  come 
a  man  to  seek  the  welfare  of  the  children  of  Israel !' 
God  raise  up  that  man !" 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Ministers  Should  Teach  Business  and  Social 
Righteousness 


"My  son,  did  you  ever  read  in  the  Book  of  Ezekiel 
The  Vision  of  The  Man  with  the  Ink-horn?  In  the 
eighth  chapter  of  this  book  God  commanded  the 
prophet  to  use  his  eyes  to  behold  scenes  almost  too 
horrible  to  read;  and  of  course  the  realities  were 
worse  still.  'Seest  thou  what  they  do?  even  the 
great  abominations  that  the  house  of  Israel  com- 
mitteth  here  ?  .  .  .  but  turn  thee  yet  again,  and 
thou  shalt  see  greater  abominations  than  these/ 
Ezekiel  turns  three  successive  times  and  gazes  upon 
these  'greater  abominations/  God  will  stand  it  no 
longer;  hence  He  proceeds  to  judgment.  He  speaks 
to  Ezekiel,  saying,  'Cause  them  that  have  charge 
over  the  city  to  draw  near,  every  man  with  his  de- 
stroying weapon  in  his  hand/  Six  men  answer  the 
summons.  One  of  the  six  was  clothed  in  linen  and 
slung  on  his  side  was  a  writer's  ink-horn.  They  go 
in  and  stand  beside  the  brazen  altar.  The  glory  of 
God  had  left  its  place  between  the  cherubim  that 
were  over  the  lid  of  the  ark,  and  now  appeared  on 
the  threshold  of  the  Temple.  God  was  departing 
from  His  own  palace  because  of  the  sins  of  His  wor- 
shippers. And  now  in  audible  voice  God  charges 
the  man  with  the  ink-horn,  'Go  through  the  midst 
of  the  city,  through  the  midst  of  Jerusalem,  and  set 

I 


56     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

a  mark  upon  the  foreheads  of  the  men  that  sigh  and 
that  cry  for  all  the  abominations  that  be  done  in  the 
midst  thereof/  Then,  addressing  the  other  five,  He 
said :  'Go  ye  after  him  through  the  city  and  smite ; 
let  not  your  eye  spare,  neither  have  ye  pity  .  .  . 
but  come  not  near  any  man  upon  whom  is  the  mark ; 
and  begin  at  My  sanctuary/  Without  delay  they 
begin  their  work  of  slaughter,  the  first  to  fall  being 
'the  ancient  men*  (elders)  who  were  before  the  Tem- 
ple. Ezekiel,  being  a  marked  man,  escapes :  he  says, 
'I  was  left.'  When  the  commission  was  executed, 
we  read,  the  man  with  the  ink-horn  reported  it  done. 
Where  are  the  men  to-day  who  'sigh  and  cry  for  all 
the  abominations'  now  being  committed?  God  re- 
quires separation  from  crime  even  to  the  bemoan- 
ing of  it  in  others.  Only  such  will  be  spared  in  the 
day  of  visitation  and  hour  of  Jehovah's  anger.  I 
would  converse  with  you  upon  the  abominations  and 
what  should  be  done  in  respect  of  them ;  for  tears  in 
themselves,  acceptable  as  they  are  to  God,  work  no 
deliverance  for  oppressed  men." 

"Dear  Dad,  men  once  sighed  and  cried  over  wick- 
edness as  they  do  not  to-day.  They  have  become 
hardened  to  it.  It  is  the  common  thing ;  and  what  is 
common  attracts  little  attention.  Occasionally  a 
very  great  enormity  causes  a  flurry,  a  slight  stir; 
but  soon  it  is  forgotten  as  the  dream  of  yesternight." 

"What  would  you  call  the  greatest  of  sins,  John, 
as  toward  God  and  man?" 

"Well  I  think,  as  towards  God,  the  greatest  of- 
fenses are  idolatry — giving  some  object  the  worship 
and  devotion  due  only  to  the  Living  Father — and 
the  disobedience  that  believes  not  in  His  Son  and 
that  slights  the  love  that  would  bestow  upon  us  eter- 
nal life.  And  toward  man,  the  greatest  of  offenses  is 
the  selfishness  that  excludes  others  from  their  rights 


Ministers  Should  Teach  Righteousness  57 

and  takes  from  them  everything  that  can  be  seized, 
without  compunction  or  shame;  and  that  never  la- 
bors and  suffers  for  humanity's  welfare." 

"That  is  a  good  answer.  God  himself  always  puts 
idolatry — devotion  to  others  than  Himself,  giving 
credit  to  them  as  the  source  of  good — as  the  chief 
offense.  And  in  this  Gospel  age  He  feels  it  acutely, 
to  speak  after  the  manner  of  men,  to  have  His  Son 
Jesus,  and  the  redemption  provided  in  Him,  treated 
as  nothing.  To  have  other  gods  beside  Himself — to 
neglect  or  spurn  the  gifts  of  righteousness  and  life 
by  His  Son — are  greatest  sins  with  God.  But  no 
less  is  it  hateful  to  Him  for  man  to  be  the  enemy 
of  man — in  deed,  if  not  in  heart — in  the  system  of 
industrial  exploitation  and  strife  under  which  we 
live.  Indeed,  I  hesitate  not  to  say  that  "Business"  is 
at  the  very  core  unrighteous,  unjust,  unfair — inimi- 
cal and  depraving  to  the  human  family.  It  is  'crooked 
from  the  start'  and  crooked  to  the  finish.  Of  course 
I  speak  of  Business  as  Business  is,  not  as  it  could  be ; 
Business,  the  wrecks  of  which  are  on  all  shores. 
Pity  the  multitudes  that  founder  daily!  Setting  to 
sea  with  high  heart,  their  barks  are  fouled  by  pir- 
ates, are  torpedoed  by  enemy  craft,  and  disappear 
forever !" 

"Dad,  the  world  must  be  full  of  idolaters,  if  the 
definition  you  give  of  idolatry  is  correct — and  I  be- 
lieve it  is." 

"Most  truly  it  is.  That  to  which  we  give  our 
inner  and  supreme  devotion;  that  we  keep  always 
before  us;  that  we  never  tire  to  seek;  that  we  de- 
pend upon  as  the  foundation  of  life  and  of  all  good 
must  be  our  God — is  God  to  us.  To  the  old  question 
'Who  will  show  us  any  good?'  and  the  answering 
prayer  implying  what  is  the  greatest  good,  namely 
the  favor  of  God — the  prayer  that  says,  'Lord,  lift 


58     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

Thou  up  upon  us  the  light  of  Thy  countenance' — all 
sanely  good  men  consent;  but  the  answer  that  says, 
'Give  me  dollars,  dollars,  dollars;  for  these  are  the 
supreme  good,'  shows  a  heart  that  has  departed  from 
God,  a  man  with  a  new  object  of  love.  'Covetous- 
ness/  says  Holy  Scripture  'is  idolatry.'  How  many 
set  up  this  idol,  this  golden  calf,  in  their  heart !  How 
abominable  to  the  God  who  is  God — God  alone.  And 
then,  what  wretched  ingratitude  to  be  indifferent  to 
His  Son,  given  for  the  express  purpose  that  we 
should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

"Should  these  be  kept  to  by  preachers,  and  rarely 
a  reference  be  made  to  the  requirement  to  be  good 
to  man?" 

"No,  no;  and  that  is  my  special  business  as  I  see 
and  feel  it  at  the  present  time — to  labor  and  pray, 
and  even  suffer,  to  restore  in  the  Church  some  meas- 
ure of  brotherly  sympathy  and  help,  and  pre-emi- 
nently a  System  of  fraternal  relationship  in  which  all 
shall  have  plenty,  and  eat  and  be  filled  and  give 
thanks  to  God ;  with  delight  in  one  another  after  the 
delight  of  God  in  His  own  benevolent  course  toward 
His  creatures.  0  this  love-vision  entrances  me!" 

"Should  we  not  all  be  for  such  an  existence?  But 
I  see  you  speak  expressly  of  ministers  as  principally 
bounden  to  this  duty  and  extension  of  fraternity." 

"I  do.  I  regard  them  as  the  natural  as  well  as  the 
God-appointed  leaders  in  righteousness  and  the 
living  examples  of  lovingness.  Their  duty  is  to  teach 
and  practice  these  characteristics.  They  are  com- 
manded to  be  specially  good,  as  examples  or  copies. 
The  line  for  a  child  to  copy  in  a  copy-book  is  well 
written ;  the  letters  are  of  good  shape  and  symmetri- 
cal in  form.  'Be  thou  an  example  to  the  flock,'  ap- 
plies firstly  to  ministers.  If  they  fail  us,  we  have  to 
set  them  aside  and  look  ahead  of  them  at  Christ; 


Ministers  Should  Teach  Righteousness  59 

but  I  for  one  am  not  satisfied  with  being  obliged  to 
ignore  them  in  order  to  follow  Christ.  I  feel,  as  a 
minister  myself,  that  we  must  be  able  to  say  in 
everything  with  Paul :  'Follow  me,  as  I  also  follow 
Christ'." 

"Then  you  are  not  hostile  to  persons  set  apart  for 
teaching  the  Word,  for  guidance,  rulership,  minis- 
try in  spiritual  things?" 

"No,  no;  I  feel  the  responsibility  of  all  such  and 
pray  for  them.  It  is  not  a  small  thing  nor  a  slight 
honor  to  be  a  chosen  and  sent  vessel  conveying  the 
precious  Bread  and  Water  of  Life.  But  I  want  them 
to  know  what  righteousness  consists  in,  and  be  in- 
sistent on  brotherly  love.  And  I  do  not  want  them 
to  be  muzzled  from  speaking  their  deepest  convic- 
tions as  taught  of  God,  in  the  plainest  language,  even 
to  the  disturbance  of  the  consciences  of  rich  men  who 
exploit  the  masses.  I  do  not  like  to  see  them  'sold 
out*  to  capitalism.  In  the  good  System,  the  Chris- 
tian System  of  living,  they  could  not  be  so  fettered, 
for  there  would  be  no  capitalist  to  please — or  offend. 
I  would  go  on  my  knees  to  get  them  to  hear  and  pon- 
der what  God  shows  me  about  this  blessed  arrange- 
ment, so  feasible,  so  Christian." 

"Dad,  you  are  very  earnest." 

"I  could  not  be  otherwise,  my  son.  At  my  age 
I  have  no  strength  to  give  to  trifles  or  even  second- 
ary matters.  This  message  is  of  first-class  import- 
ance. It  presses  me.  It  never  departs  from  me. 
The  sum  of  it  is,  'Let  us  love  one  another;  for  love 
is  of  God/  'Let  us  love  one  another;'  a  man  full 
of  God  ought  to  be  able  to  make  discourses  without 
end  upon  this  text;  it  is  so  fruitful." 

"Tell  me  your  plain  opinion,  Dad,  are  the  organ- 
izations which  in  their  totality  are  called  the  Chris- 


60     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

tian  Church  full  and  faithful  exponents  of  righteous- 
ness and  of  brotherliness  ?" 

"They  are  not.  The  Christianity  that  passes  as 
Christ's  religion  is  low-grade  ore.  It  gives  us  a 
pang  to  say  it.  Neither  ministers  nor  members  come 
up  to  the  standard.  0  don't  think  that  I  speak  as 
an  I-am-holier-than-thou  man!  I  put  myself  in  as 
having  been  part  of  this  imperfect  Christliness.  I 
make  my  confession — 'we  have  sinned/  But  God 
has  so  manifested  it  to  me  that  I  must  be  up  and 
doing  for  a  change.  I  have  renounced  all  I  am  and 
have  to  be  the  servant  of  others — all  things  to  all 
men.  God  has  utterly  weaned  me  from  what  He 
has  shown  me  to  be  so  far  below  the  life  of  real  and 
whole  discipleship." 

"Well  now,  what  do  you  say  about  righteousness? 
and  I  shall  ask  you  later,  what  about  love?" 

"Righteousness,  justice,  is  simply  what  is  right 
between  beings  according  to  their  nature,  rank,  and 
relationship.  Between  God  and  man;  between  man 
and  man.  My  thought  now  is  not  of  private,  personal 
goodness;  not  of  sincerity,  chastity,  truthfulness, 
sobriety,  graciousness,  and  so  forth;  I  am  thinking 
only  of  Social  and  commercial  righteousness;  and 
it  is  my  conviction,  without  casting  a  slur  upon  the 
general  knowledge  of  the  ministry,  that  they  are  not 
informed  in  the  premises,  never  having  given  it  thor- 
ough investigation.  I  will  say  for  myself,  that  al- 
though I  have  always  been  concerned  for  true  belief 
and  have  expended  the  most  of  my  life  in  self-deny- 
ing service  of  the  poor,  until  about  a  year  or  two 
ago  I  was  ignorant  in  regard  to  Social  and  economic 
righteousness.  I  am  amazed  that  I  was  so  ignorant, 
and  for  so  long;  and  many  things  that  I  then  did  I 
could  not  even  entertain  thought  of  doing  now,  hav- 
ing awakened." 


Ministers  Should  Teach  Righteousness  61 

"I  think,  Dad,  that  must  be  so  with  many — they 
have  never  really  analyzed  everyday  life  to  find  out 
the  merit  or  demerit  of  the  principles  upon  which  it 
is  lived." 

"Well,  then  another  thing,  those  who  have  given 
attention  to  Sociology  have  doubtless  generally  stud- 
ied it  according  to  the  prevalent  system,  custom  or 
consents ;  instead  of  in  the  light  of  God's  Word,  the 
book  of  eternal  fairness  and  equity.  There  are  two 
standards  of  industrial  and  commercial  ethics,  God's 
standard,  in  Holy  Scripture;  and  the  standard  of 
what  is  known  as  Business,  which  is  simply  rules 
and  customs  laid  down  by  employers  for  their  own 
selfish  interests.  Often  these  have  been  enacted 
into  laws,  which  has  raised  them  to  an  authority 
which  bind  citizens  at  their  peril  if  they  disregard 
them.  Then  they  get  the  odious  name  of  'law  break- 
ers/ or  even  worse,  of  'Anarchists/  " 

"Anarchist  is  often  very  wrongly  applied,  Dad,  to 
good  men,  as  though  they  did  not  believe  in  and 
were  unwilling  to  recognize  government;  whereas 
the  fact  is  that  they  are  only  against  slug  govern- 
ment, that  hits  the  poor  to  aid  and  please  the  rich." 

"I  was  told  the  other  day,  John,  of  a  case  that  came 
up  in  Court  in  a  trial,  in  which  the  prosecuting  attor- 
ney, pointing  to  several  publications,  said  to  a  wit- 
ness, "I  assume,  from  what  these  books  contain,  you 
are  an  anarchist?'  '0  no,'  said  the  witness,  'I  am 
worse  than  that,  I  am  a  Christian!'  This  may  evoke  a 
smile ;  but,  come  to  the  heart  of  things,  the  writings 
of  many  Socialists  and  Anarchists  are  more  Chris- 
tian than  the  rules  and  teachings  of  Big  Business 
pleaders  that  pass  as  sound  secular  doctrine.  If 
a  man  teach  Christ's  laws  of  righteousness  is  he  not, 
in  that,  righteous  and  Christian?" 

"It  is  important  that  we  know  and  use  the  right 


62     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

textbooks  if  we  go  into  the  study  of  righteousness, 
to  have  good  groundwork  for  our  own  actions  and 
for  the  instruction  of  others;  for  certainly  if  we 
fill  up  on  the  wrong  laws  that  will  be  our  teaching — 
we  shall  mislead  where  we  would  lead  safely." 

"Yes,  and  there  are  two  more  considerations, 
namely,  acceptability  and  pecuniary  interest.  A 
minister  wishes  to  give  satisfaction;  that  is,  please 
the  whole  church ;  or  if  he  cannot  do  that,  the  most 
substantial  and  principal  members  of  his  congrega- 
tion ;  and  if  their  standard  is  Business,  Law,  Usage, 
he  is  likely  to  pervert  interpretation  in  their  favor. 
His  bread  and  butter  are  at  stake.  Why  should  he 
raise  a  rumpus  about  earthly  things?  Either  he  will 
see  through  their  eyes,  or  say  nothing  about  it.  It 
is  'prudence/  worldly,  to  do  so.  So  many  things 
militate  against  preaching  righteousness:  (1), 
Never  having  learned  it,  because  of  inattention; 
(2) ,  Learned  its  perversion,  in  textbooks  written  by 
those  who  find  it  unprofitable  to  practice  the  real 
standard;  (3),  Being  swayed  by  interest  to  side  with 
supporters  who  largely  pay  their  salaries.  The 
Church  has  yet  to  realize  how  high  and  essential  is 
righteousness,  and  then  to  stand  right  up  loyally  and 
publish  and  contend  for  it." 

"To  teach  righteousness,  dear  Dad,  in  some 
churches,  where  the  membership  is  either  rich,  or 
near-rich,  would  disrupt  those  churches,  or  send  the 
ministers  off  to  new  grazing  grounds." 

"True,  John,  but  a  man  of  God  is  ready  to  pay 
for  his  testimony  the  price  required.  John  the  Bap- 
tist came  to  the  Jews  'in  the  way  of  righteousness* — 
that  was  the  burden  of  his  message,  along  with 
announcement  of  the  Messiah  and  His  coming  King- 
dom. Paul  reasoned  of  righteousness,  temperance 
(self-mastery)  and  the  coming  judgment.  The  Old 


Ministers  Should  Teach  Righteousness  63 

Testament  is  pre-eminently  the  book  of  righteous- 
ness. Righteousness  must  be  taught.  Its  omission 
leaves  the  people  in  bad  plight.  They  will  not  prac- 
tice what  they  do  not  see  or  know.  Obligation  is 
not  created.  Righteousness  is  indispensable.  'Give 
me/  says  David,  'understanding,  and  I  will  keep 
Thy  law ;  yea,  I  will  observe  it  with  my  whole  heart.* 
If  a  man  has  the  'rule'  before  him,  and  he  is  of 
will  to  do  God's  will,  when  temptation  comes  to  him 
he  will  say,  'It  is  not  right,  and  I  will  not  do  it.' 
A  corporation-head  cannot  change  the  law  of  justice 
by  'company  rules,'  and  company  rules  are  not  Di- 
vine righteousness." 

"You  are  making  righteousness  very  binding,  Dad, 
and  I  bethink  me  of  Jesus,  the  Great  Teacher  of 
Righteousness.  It  seemed  to  impress  Christ's  hear- 
ers that  He  was  a  man  of  right,  an  inculcator  of 
justice.  And,  as  I  remember,  'we  being  delivered 
from  the  hand  of  our  enemies,  are  to  serve  God  in 
holiness  and  in  righteousness  before  Him  all  the 
days  of  our  life'." 

"There  is  a  proverb,  John,  that  says  'First  learn, 
then  teach.'  Righteousness  must  be  learned;  then 
it  must  be  taught.  But  who  is  sufficient  for  these 
things  with  a  world  so  unwilling  to  hear?  Instruc- 
tion in  righteousness  in  all  the  ordinary  business  of 
life  must  be  given;  but  now  begins  the  warfare  as 
to  what  is  righteousness.  God  and  Mammon  both 
claim  to  be  heard ;  and  alas !  many  professing  Chris- 
tians choose  the  Barrabas  called  Mammon,  and  de- 
liver up  Jesus  to  be  crucified.  And  yet  it  ought 
not  to  be  hard  to  determine  what  is  righteousness. 
If  the  intention  in  any  enterprise  is  greed — to  make 
a  lot  of  money,  and  if  the  business  sees  only  gain, 
that  business  is  surely  unrighteous,  and  so  is  every- 
body and  everything  connected  with  it — everybody 


64     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

official  and  executive,  I  mean.  Sophistry  may 
excuse  the  foundation  and  the  working  on  the  ground 
that  a  good  object  is  contemplated  as  the  end;  but 
it  is  long  a  discarded  doctrine,  except  with  Jesuits, 
and  even  they  now  deny  it,  that  'the  end  justifies 
the  means'." 

"  'Let  us  do  evil  that  good  may  come/  dear  Dad, 
will  never  do.  That  was  what  Germany  said  when 
she  invaded  Belgium;  and  she  paid  for  it  with  the 
world's  condemnation.  'We  will  appropriate  the 
world's  inheritance  and  drain  it  of  its  treasure,  that 
we  may  have  money  to  support  missionaries  and 
build  religious  institutions/  will  not  pass  with  right- 
eous men — nor  with  God.  To  steal  with  one  hand 
in  order  to  dispense  charity  with  the  other  is  the 
exploiter's  righteousness;  but  except  a  man's  right- 
eousness exceeds  the  righteousness  of  the  oil  king 
he  cannot  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  God.  It  ought 
to  be  up  as  a  question  to  be  solved  in  every  church, 
and  its  decision  should  bind  every  member:  'What 
is  righteousness  between  the  capitalist  exploiter  and 
employer  and  his  employee?'  If  rightly  decided, 
many  men  held  in  esteem  would  be  subjects  of  labor 
by  the  elders  to  bring  them  to  repentance.  'Judg- 
ment never  goeth  forth,'  was  God's  complaint  about 
Israel.  Judgment  must  go  forth.  What  is  right- 
eousness, in  the  hundreds  of  questions  of  the  day, 
should  be  settled.  It  concerns  not  theories,  but  the 
life,  and  the  encouragement  of  men  with  conscience 
toward  man  as  toward  God.  We  cannot  give  men 
conscience,  but  in  the  Spirit  a  pastor  can  help  in 
settlement  of  cases  of  conscience  by  treating  of 
righteousness." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  feel  as  I  never  felt  before  upon  the 
matter  of  righteousness.  I  have  been  thinking,  I 
have  seen  many  printed  handbills  announcing 


Ministers  Should  Teach  Righteousness  65 

series  of  sermons  on  such  subjects  as:  'Prayer/ 
The  Holy  Spirit/  'The  Church/  The  Character  of 
the  Lord  Jesus/  etc.,  but  never,  in  my  recollection, 
have  I  heard  or  seen,  in  nearly  half  a  century,  a 
series  upon  'Righteousness  Toward  Our  Fellow 
Men/  It  is  very  decisive  as  showing  that  it  does 
not  come  upon  the  hearts  of  Christian  leaders;  and, 
as  you  say,  it  should." 

"Yes,  it  should.  Other  subjects  may  be  more 
popular,  and  entertaining — such  as  do  not  arraign 
conscience  or  bring  conviction ;  but  a  series  on  right- 
eousness, informatory  and  warning,  would  be  words 
in  season,  wrords  fitly  spoken.  But  think  how  many 
would  be  uncovered!  And  a  hypocrite,  or  at  any 
rate  a  self-deceived  man  as  to  his  standing,  does  not 
like  to  fall  in  his  own  estimation.  A  witness  in 
such  case  must  be  ready  to  be  a  martyr.  A  martyr ! 
in  these  days,  who  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing?  But 
there  are  yet  some  who  if  they  would  search  and 
get  conviction  would  readily  yield  themselves  to 
contention  for  the  right,  come  what  might.  I  be- 
lieve they  will  be  given  to  see  that  the  only  Chris- 
tian way  of  living  is  that  in  which  many  do  not  serve 
to  enrich  one,  but  all  labor,  with  glad  hearts  and 
willing  hands,  for  every  brother,  so  that  unright- 
eousness is  excluded.  What  a  happy  time,  when 
unrighteousness  shall  not  fit  into  prevailing  condi- 
tions and  thus  shall  be  impossible !" 


CHAPTER  V. 
Righteousness  and  Equality  Demanded 


"John,  He  who  is  with  me  and  speaks  through  me 
will  not  let  me  proceed  without  adding  to  what  I 
have  already  said  concerning  righteousness.  Right- 
eousness !  great  word  with  God,  very  small  with  man ; 
I  speak  that  I  may  make  it  greater.  What  trivial 
things  human  beings  meditate  on  and  converse  about 
to  the  neglect  of  the  study  of  and  mutual  exhortation 
to  righteousness.  What  God  loves  to  see  in  man 
is  righteousness.  It  is  named  as  that  for  which 
He  honored  His  Son  Jesus  above  all  others.  David 
said,  in  the  Spirit:  Thou  hast  loved  righteousness 
and  hated  iniquity;  therefore  God,  Thy  God,  hath 
anointed  Thee  with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  Thy 
fellows!*  And  generally  we  read,  The  righteous 
Lord  loveth  righteousness;  His  countenance  doth 
behold  [with  favor]  the  upright/  " 

"Surely,  Dad,  if  anything  else  you  say  is  consid- 
ered questionable,  righteousness  will  not  be." 

"Yes,  John,  right  conduct,  righteousness,  is  that 
to  which  God  first  renews  a  man  when  a  human  soul 
lets  Him  have  His  way  with  him.  His  first  word  is 
'Repent;  return  to  righteousness/  That  was  the 
greatest  outstanding  feature  of  God's  dealings  with 
men  before  Jesus  came.  His  law,  which  we  know 
as  the  Ten  Commandments,  was  of  our  duties  toward 
Himself  and  our  fellows.  It  said,  in  effect:  'Be 


68     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

just  to  Me;  be  just  to  men.'  Read  the  first  four  of 
those  commandments,  and  you  will  learn  what  God 
insists  on  for  Himself  as  His  rights,  and  demands 
of  His  creatures.  Moreover,  He  is  very  much  in 
earnest  to  have  them;  as  it  is  proper  He  should  be. 
He  says  'I  am  a  jealous  God' ;  'My  glory  will  I  not 
give  to  another ;  neither  my  praise  to  graven  images.' 
Even  though  a  man  do  all  his  duty  to  his  fellow- 
man  yet  if  he  omits  giving  God  what  is  His  due 
he  is  unjust,  he  is  a  robber,  he  cannot  escape  sen- 
tence when  his  case  comes  to  trial.  The  last  six  of 
the  Ten  Commandments  are  also  most  righteous. 
What  can  be  condemned  in  the  commands,  'Give  to 
your  parents  reverence;  take  not  away  your  broth- 
er's life ;  do  not  wrong  him  as  regards  his  wife ;  steal 
not  his  goods,  the  fruit  of  his  labor;  do  not  testify 
against  him  falsely;  do  not  have  a  covetous  mind 
for  his  home,  his  wife,  his  servants,  his  cattle,  nor 
anything  that  is  his?'  God  is  just  as  earnest  to  have 
these  laws  obeyed  as  those  about  Himself.  He  is 
the  great  Public  Defender.  He  is  the  Champion-in- 
Chief  of  human  rights.  The  exploiter  will  find  it 
out  in  due  time.  And  even  now,  nobody  can  be  in 
His  favor  and  have  that  best  of  all  experiences  His 
fellowship,  as  an  unrighteous  man.  It  is  a  fellow- 
ship of  righteousness." 

"Dear  Dad,  0  that  righteousness  were  unceasingly 
taught ;  that  it  was  never  out  of  sight.  That  seems 
to  be  what  God  intended  when  He  commanded  His 
law  to  be  written  on  everything  and  be  a  frontlet 
between  His  people's  eyes." 

"John,  righteousness  must  be  proclaimed  as  a 
preparation  for  the  reception  of  Christ  unto  salva- 
tion. Sin  must  be  bared;  injustice  unveiled.  The 
thief  of  the  public  domain,  and  the  man  to  whom 
he  has  passed  title  to  the  same — of  course,  clouded, 


Righteousness  and  Equality  Demanded  69 

bad  title — must  be  called  Robber!  The  workers  of 
the  jumped  claim — I  do  not  mean  the  staked-out 
bit  of  mineral  land  of  a  prospector,  but  the  great 
oil,  gas,  and  coal  fields — that  jump  the  heritage  of 
us  all,  and  get  enormously  rich  from  the  same  while 
millions  starve,  must  be  pilloried  as  scoundrels  and 
defrauders.  Then  may  the  ministry  be  counted 
as  worthy  and  fulfillers  of  their  duty  in  regard 
to  justice.  Of  course,  it  may  cost  them  something 
— it  will — for  so  doing;  but  is  it  a  'job'  or  a  min- 
istry they  are  engaged  upon?  Think  of  John  the 
Baptist,  of  whom  Jesus  said,  'He  came  unto  you  in 
the  way  of  righteousness/  and  who  said  of  him- 
self that  his  work  was  to  make  a  road  for  the  Lord, 
who  would  follow  soon  afterward." 

"John  the  Baptist  was  a  very  fearless  prophet, 
Dad,  and  a  great  denunciator  of  wicked  men  and 
their  sins." 

"Yes,  and  so  should  all  be  who  claim  to  be  sent 
of  Jesus  Christ.  But,  I  say,  think  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist. He  did  not  spare  even  Herod,  the  Roman  gov- 
ernor of  the  Galilean  province,  but  reproved  him 
for  his  crimes,  and  esnecially  for  having  married 
Herodias,  his  brother  Philip's  wife.  Why  should  he 
not?  Herod  was  a  bad  man;  the  purple  of  royalty 
should  not  shield  him.  Nor  should  any  high  in 
rank  who  are  wicked  be  spared  to-day.  And  then, 
think  how  he  'insulted'  the  most  reverend  religious 
folk  of  his  time,  speaking  right  up  to  the  rabbis 
and  calling  them  to  their  faces  a  'brood  of  vipers'! 
They  were  not  accustomed  to  such  language ;  but  he 
did  not  care  that  they  were  adulated  by  others;  for 
himself  he  must  speak  to  them  the  truth.  It  took 
courage  to  do  it;  and  John  had  plenty  of  that. 
And  just  observe  how  he  preached  generally.  He 
did  not  select  men's  private,  personal  infirmities  and 


70     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

excesses  for  his  objects  of  attack;  but  the  things 
they  did  to  others,  their  Society  crimes,  their  eco- 
nomic sins;  just  the  things  that  the  preachers  of 
to-day  do  not  attack,  and  often  do  not  mention;  or 
if  they  do  speak  of  them,  have  no  vehemence  in  their 
voice  and  imperativeness  in  their  manner  for  new 
action.  Three  types  of  men  interrogate  him  as  to 
what  they  should  do.  (His  preaching,  you  see,  was 
business,  something  they  should  get  busy  at.)  'What 
shall  we  do,  then?*  they  ask.  'Have  you  two  coats, 
one  more  than  you  need  for  use?  give  the  extra 
one  to  him  who  has  none.  Have  you  more  food  than 
necessary  to  satisfy  your  own  hunger  ?  feed  him  who 
is  in  want.'  To  the  publicans,  tax-gatherers,  he  said : 
'Regarding  the  taxes,  extort  not  from  any  an  unjust 
amount.  Collect  only  the  lawful  impost;  in  short, 
be  honest;  defraud  nobody/  And  to  the  soldiers  he 
answered,  'Do  violence  to  no  man;  neither  accuse 
any  falsely;  and  be  content  with  your  allowance* — 
a  man  with  power  or  authority  must  not  abuse  it 
to  the  harm  of  others.  You  will  see  that  all  this 
advice  is  touching  wrongs  done  to  others — injustices, 
which  he  demanded  must  be  ended." 

"I  see  it,  Dad;  injustice  to  others  is  the  leading 
note  in  John's  preaching  of  righteousness." 

"Yes,  injustice  to  others.  O  the  earth  is  full  of 
wrongs  done  to  others!  The  sufferers  from  others 
are  nearly  endless.  If  only  man  would  do  right — 
simply  right — by  his  fellow!  It  is  a  big  question  of 
righteousness.  The  cry  of  the  robbed,  the  mur- 
dered, the  oppressed,  is  the  pitiful  one  of  'Do  right 
by  me!'  And  ever  from  hill  and  vale  there  echoes, 
'Do  right!  do  right.'  One  would  think  that  minis- 
ters would  always  be  preaching  to  their  congrega- 
tions, along  with  faith  in  God's  mercy  through  Jesus 
Christ,  'Do  right.'  John,  it  is  the  first,  the  prepara- 


Righteousness  and  Equality  Demanded  71 

tory  work,  to  call  upon  men  to  'Break  off  transgres- 
sion by  righteousness/  It  is  the  unfairness,  the  dis- 
honesty of  man,  his  countless  trespasses  against  his 
brother  and  dispossession  of  him  in  his  rights,  that 
is  at  the  foundation  of  our  Social  miseries.  It  is 
not  a  case  of  an  honest  man  through  unexpected 
disasters  and  cutting  off  of  income  being  unable  to 
meet  his  signed  obligations.  A  man  may  be  so 
caught  by  circumstances  that  he  cannot  pay  a  note 
when  due.  It  is  more  anguish  to  him  than  it  is 
suffering  to  the  one  who  has  to  wait  for  his  money. 
What  I  speak  of  is,  that  mesh,  that  ramified  sys- 
tem of  land-stealing,  owning  of  facilities  and  col- 
lection of  tolls  that  cause  others  to  languish  hope- 
lessly and  finally  go  down  in  the  swirling  mael- 
strom." 

"Why,  Dad,  I  really  think  that  some  who  profess 
no  discipleship  but  are  socially  good,  humanly  kind, 
have  more  real  religion  than  professors  of  conver- 
sion ;  for  their  books  show  them  to  have  sympathy, 
and  according  to  their  lights  they  propose  remedies 
for  existing  evils." 

"That,  John,  is  true;  but  it  hurts  me  to  say  so. 
It  is  a  scandal  that  should  not  be  allowed  to  remain. 
If  not  for  goodness*  sake,  for  shame's  sake  it  should 
provoke  the  churches  to  do  something.  Righteous- 
ness— to  agitate  for  it  and  put  it  into  practice — 
would  tear  existing  bodies  into  tatters ;  but  my  prop- 
osition is  not  a  political  one,  but  a  Society — as  it  were 
on  the  side — living  out  and  so  exemplifying  right- 
eousness ;  a  Nation  inside  nations,  a  Kingdom  within 
kingdoms ;  and  the  sustenance  not  of  parties  but  of 
measures  that  benefit  the  whole  Commonalty;  of 
laws  that  are  as  fair  as  can  be  obtained — wrung 
from  interests  that  have  all  the  advantages." 

"Dear  Dad,  they  will  never  relinquish  the  death- 


72     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

grip  they  have  upon  the  throat  of  Society.  Not 
prejudice,  but  the  somber  facts  of  each  day's  doings 
make  me  dubious  of  any  radical  alteration;  but  a 
separate  Society  banded  together  for  help  of  each 
other,  extra  and  outside  the  combines  of  greed,  they 
could  not  prevent." 

"My  first  interest,  John,  is  in  the  Church.  I  want 
above  all  things  to  see  her  right.  My  first,  I  say, 
but  not  my  exclusive  interest.  Our  rule  is  so  plain 
that  justice  and  benevolence  must  not  be  confined 
to  the  household  of  the  faith;  it  is  distinctly  en- 
joined that  we  must  be  just  and  good  to  everybody. 
What  clearer  commands  than  these:  'Ever  follow 
that  which  is  good,  both  among  yourselves  and  to 
all  men';  'As  we  have  therefore  opportunity,  let  us 
do  good  unto  all  men,  especially  unto  them  that  are 
of  the  household  of  faith';  The  Lord  make  you  to 
increase  and  abound  in  love  toward  one  another 
and  toward  all  men.'  'All  men/  'every  man'  are  not 
restrictive,  but  wide  as  the  world.  The  trouble  is, 
that  piety — oftentimes  only  pietism —  is  largely  the 
ideal  of  a  Christian :  contrite  prayers,  reverent  bow- 
ings, humble  kneeling,  subdued  feelings,  etc.  To 
me,  however,  the  Simeon-type  of  godliness,  with 
twofold  relation,  is  better.  That  holy  man  was  'de- 
vout' to  perfection;  his  attitude  of  subjection  and 
worship  could  not  be  criticized.  But  he  was,  in  addi- 
tion, a  'just'  man.  'Just  and  devout/  is  his  sacred 
characterization !" 

Dad,  a  strong  element  of  justness  is  needed,  with 
a  befitting  frame  toward  God — with  devotion  and 
worship.  Such  justness  would  make  life  fairer  and 
happier  for  the  masses.  But  who  will  be  the  pioneer 
in  analyzing  established  wrongs?  And  who  will  be 
the  man  to  dare  in  holy  boldness  to  attack  accepted, 
entrenched  usages  that  are  iniquitous  ?  There  should 
be  a  few  John  the  Baptists  yet  alive.  Why  think! 


Righteousness  and  Equality  Demanded  73 

he  refused  to  receive  into  fellowship  men  who  would 
pass  muster  today,  now  that  justice  abashed  is 
gone  away  backward.  Believe  me,  they  were  very 
good  men  of  their  sort.  Only  they  'passed  over  judg- 
ment and  the  love  of  God !'  That  was  all.  No,  not 
quite,  they  'devoured'  others.  'Ye  devour  widows' 
houses/  said  Jesus.  Why  not  widows,  as  well  as  the 
common  run  of  people?  Their  righteousness  how- 
ever was  not  good  enough  for  John  the  Baptist;  he 
turned  them  back  as  candidates  for  baptism.  And 
Jesus  says,  'Except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed 
the  righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye 
shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven/ 

"Then  you  hold,  dear  Dad,  that  with  personal 
rectitude,  such  as  sincerity,  truth-speaking,  purity 
and  the  like,  Christians  must  be  industrially  and  so- 
cially righteous;  must  only  be  companions  of  such 
characters,  and  must  protest  all  the  inequitableness 
of  this  world." 

"I  do;  and  pursuit  of  riches  to  the  impoverish- 
ment of  others  is  one  of  the  leading  forms  of  pres- 
ent-day unrighteousness  (there  are  many  others)  ; 
concerning  which  Paul  says,  Thou,  0  man  of  God,  flee 
these  things  I'  And  now  I  must,  to  be  faithful,  deal 
with  the  unrighteousness  in  the  church.  To  smirch 
her?  to  make  her  odious?  far  be  it!  That  she  may 
be  clad  in  a  white  and  spotless  robe!  O  beautiful 
righteousness  of  saints.  You  must  not  understand 
me,  John,  to  charge  that  in  the  purely  private  realm 
of  conduct  I  say  that  church  members  are  wanting 
in  Tightness  of  principle,  feeling  or  conduct.  Doubt- 
less— I  thank  God  for  it! — many  are  scrupulously 
conscientious  as  to  purity  and  the  private  and  do- 
mestic virtues.  At  least  so  I  want  to  believe,  and 
will  hold  true,  unless  convinced  to  the  contrary — 
which  I  hope  nobody  will  attempt  with  me.  What 
I  do  see,  however,  is,  that  in  intersocial  matters  they 


74     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

lack  conscience,  and  allow  in  conduct  things  gross- 
ly unjust.  They  consider  not  how  they  came  by  their 
money ;  how  their  dividends  are  earned ;  the  inequal- 
ity of  the  pay  for  different  kinds  of  service;  how 
proportionately  unjust  wages  are;  what  a  dreadful 
life  is  the  lot  of  thousands  that  they  may  have  lux- 
uries ;  how  rotten  and  stinking  to  Heaven  is  such  cor- 
poration business.  They  have  never  looked  at  such 
disturbing  matters.  Their  present  self-satisfaction 
would  be  destroyed  if  they  did.  So  it  is  convenient 
not  to  ponder  them;  not  even  to  behold  them.  That 
is  true  witness.  Let  me  begin  with  the  ministers. 
(Pity,  pity  the  necessity!)* 

"I  believe  you,  Dad,  that  it  is  not  pleasure  to  you 
to  touch  on  such  subjects." 

"Pleasure,  John;  it  is  not  pleasure  to  God  to  be- 
hold iniquity;  and  I  know  I  am  of  Him  in  this  re- 
spect as  in  others;  that  it  grieves  me  to  testify 
against  any;  and  I  do  so  now  only  in  hope  that  by 
teaching  and  expostulation  I  may  deliver  some.  You 
know,  it  is  written,  'A  faithful  witness  delivereth 
souls.'  Now  the  Church  has  a  bad  reputation  with 
the  masses  of  working  men.  At  a  Church  Conference 
(Episcopal)  held  recently  in  the  East,  it  was  affirmed 
and  deplored  that  working  men  were  shy  of  the 
Church — did  not  attend  her  religious  meetings ;  and 
it  was  proposed  that  something  should  be  done  to 
conciliate  and  bring  them  in.  It  is  claimed  that  the 
ministers  feel  nothing  in  common  with  the  toilers; 
that  being  lifted  out  of  their  class  with  an  assured 
and  often  a  large  income  they  naturally  incline  to 
the  friendship  and  cause  of  their  principal  support- 
ers; for  at  the  Conference  alluded  to  it  was  said, 
it  is  from  the  rich,  or  at  any  rate  the  well-to-do,  their 
living  is  chiefly  derived. 

"I,  too,  think,  dear  Dad,  that  it  is  the  large  con- 


Righteousness  and  Equality  Demanded  75 

tributions  that  come  from  the  better-off  members 
that  is  their  main  reliance  for  their  salary." 

"Well,  John,  the  trouble  is  here,  men  who  get 
common  wages  feel  that  the  minister  is  an  overpaid 
servant  of  the  public;  that  he  is  avaricious;  and 
hence  his  ministry  in  holy  things  is  rejected.  As 
a  man  said  to  me  lately,  when  I  asked  him  if  he  had 
heard  a  certain  Doctor:  'No,  and  I  don't  want  to. 
I  have  no  use  for  a  $10,000  preacher/  (The  preach- 
er's salary  was  $8,000,  a  free  parsonage,  and  I  know 
not  what  in  addition,  but  my  informant  said  it  ate 
up  nearly  $10,000.)  Men  at  the  present  day  are 
largely  cynical.  Do  you  know  what  a  cynic  is,  John? 
He  is  one  who  has  lost  faith  in  anybody  doing  good 
to  others  simply  for  brotherly  kindness*  sake;  to 
make  them  safe  and  happy.  His  experience  is  that 
men  exert  themselves  only  'for  reward/  So  when 
the  cynic  sees  a  minister  receiving  from  $2,500  to 
$9,000  a  year — the  going  rate  for  'first-class  talent* 
in  the  city  of  Los  Angeles, — he  says,  'Whew!  but 
they  do  come  high.'  The  trust  is  killed  out  of  his 
heart;  and  he  feels,  and  where  bold  enough  says, 
with  a  sneer,  'Religious  grafters!'  There  is  much 
in  appearances  to  justify  that  (whether  it  is  so  in 
substance  God  knows)  ;  and  it  is  the  law,  'Shun  the 
very  appearance  of  evil;'  that  is,  in  the  matter  of 
making  godliness  gain.  Always  the  motive  is  con- 
sidered ;  and  if  the  motive  is  suspicioned  as  a  sordid 
one  then  the  usefulness  of  a  minister  is  lost  for  him 
who  imagines  love  of  money  is  the  inducement  in 
his  preaching." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  have  heard  a  story  of  a  Missionary 
preaching  in  the  open  air  in  India,  who  discoursed  to 
a  crowd  of  natives  of  Jesus'  life  of  teaching  and 
healing,  and  finally  of  His  death  upon  the  tree.  One 
of  them  listened  very  attentively,  and  then  asked  the 


76     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

question,  'Sahib!  did  He  do  good  for  money?'  He 
wanted  to  know  if  money  was  the  reason  of  our 
Lord's  service.  Poor  fellow!  Probably  no  service 
had  ever  been  done  him  except  for  pay.  The  minis- 
ter could  tell  him,  praise  God !  that  all  that  the  Mas- 
ter did  was  rendered  for  nothing — for  nothing!" 

"John,  I  have  had  some  very  biting  things  said 
to  me  about  the  ministry  and  their  large  salaries. 
One  said:  'Ministers  preach  for  the  same  reason 
that  I  do — to  make  a  living/  Another :  'The  minis- 
ters will  be  on  their  job  to-morrow  (Sunday),  as  I 
shall  be  on  mine/  A  third:  'Do  you  know  why 
ministers  preach  ?  For  the  money  there  is  in  it.J  As 
I  sat  in  a  chair  for  a  shave,  a  barber  said  to  me :  'I 
see  by  the  newspapers  that  the  clergy  are  coming 
back  from  their  vacations ;  some  from  Europe,  some 
from  back  East,  some  from  the  mountains,  some 
from  the  seaside.  They  have  a  good  time;  while  I 
have  to  stand  here  and  work  from  morning  to  night, 
year  in  and  year  out,  just  to  make  both  ends  meet!' 
It  does  seem  a  little  inequitable,  does  it  not?  It  does 
not  look  like  justice  to  have  some  have  bags  of  money 
and  a  pleasant  recreation,  and  others  be  as  good  as 
chained  to  a  mill-wheel !  'That  is  all  right/  says  one ; 
'there  is  a  difference  between  us.  Ours  is  an  honor- 
able profession;  theirs  a  menial  business/  Indeed! 
if  any  minister  thinks  the  humblest  honest  laborer 
inferior  to  himself  he  is  yet  a  heathen  and  no  Chris- 
tian/' 

"Dad,  the  objection  is  not  to  ministers  having  a 
living;  every  reasonable  and  fair  man  knows  a 
preacher  can  no  more  subsist  in  the  flesh  upon  ether- 
eal food  than  other  men,  and  is  willing  that  he 
shall  be  supported,  supported  comfortably  and  on 
the  same  scale  as  the  middle  man,  but  not  that  he 
shall  dress  as  a  king,  live  sumptuously  every  day, 


Righteousness  and  Equality  Demanded  11 

bring  up  his  children  seclusively,  and  lay  up  a  for- 
tune upon  which  to  retire  as  an  ex-minister." 

"John,  our  Lord  has  made  it  an  ordinance  that 
they  who  preach  the  Gospel  shall  live  of  the  Gospel. 
The  one  who  puts  his  whole  time  into  public  service 
is  not  a  pauper  if  he  receives  carnal  things  while  he 
gives  spiritual.  I  indignantly  reject  the  thought. 
But  it  is  a  'living'  Christ  says  he  shall  have ;  and  what 
is  a  'living'  for  a  man?  I  remember  how  it  used  to 
be,  a  long  time  ago.  The  brethren,  by  committee, 
waited  on  him  whom  they  thought  could  do  them 
good  and  desired  to  have  live  with  them  as  guide  and 
comforter.  They  told  the  elder  their  mind,  and 
asked  him:  'How  much,  brother,  do  you  think,  it 
will  take  to  keep  yourself  and  family?'  The  ques- 
tion was  in  harmony  with  the  Lord's  will  of  supply 
of  things  temporal  for  the  man  of  God.  One  day,  as 
I  returned  home  from  the  East,  I  broke  my  jour- 
ney of  a  Saturday  evening  to  stay  over  the  Sunday 
at  Denver,  and  rest  and  worship  with  God's  people. 
I  was  delighted  to  find  that  an  old  friend  was  to 
preach  in  one  of  the  places  of  worship.  It  was  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  ordination  to  the  minis- 
try. In  the  course  of  his  address  he  remarked,  the 
Lord  had  always  taken  care  of  him  so  that  he  had 
never  been  utterly  destitute ;  'and,'  he  added,  naively, 
'I  am  not  without  money  to-day.  I  received  my  pass- 
book yesterday  from  the  bank,  and  I  find  I  have  still 
a  balance  of  sixteen  dollars  to  my  credit.'  (The 
audience  here  smiled  at  the  small  balance.)  'And,' 
said  he,  'talking  of  money,  I  don't  know  what  it  is 
good  for — do  you,  brethren? — except  to  buy  plain 
food  and  clothing  and  give  to  the  poor !'  Noble  man ! 
We  loved  him  much  before;  we  loved  him  better 
afterwards." 

"Dear  Dad,  the  size  of  the  salary  counts  consider- 


78     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

ably  when  a  church  gives  a  preacher  a  call.  Men 
say  ironically  that  the  highest  bid  from  competing 
churches  is  with  ministers  a  'divine  call'  for  them 
to  move ;  and  while  this  is  not  in  all  cases  true,  it  is 
true  that  in  a  majority  of  instances,  other  things 
being  equal,  $1000  more  stipend  tempts  them  to  a 
new  field  of  labor." 

"I  wish  John,  there  had  never  been  anything  to 
build  such  remarks  on.  A  strange  thing  once  hap- 
pened in  the  city.  A  leading  pastor  came  to  the 
platform,  and  without  any  introductory  speech  said : 
'You  say,  You  [himself  meant]  are  paid  to  be  good. 
Maybe!'  He  added  no  more.  I  could  not  imagine 
his  reason.  And  this  reminds  me  once  more  of  the 
barber  to  whom  I  have  referred.  He  had  assailed 
all  ministers,  and  I  felt  to  take  up  their  defense ;  so 
I  remarked,  'Well,  you  must  acknowledge  that  he  is 
a  good  man.'  He  slammed  me  back  with  the  reply, 
bitterly  spoken :  'Anybody  can  be  good  on  six  thous- 
and dollars  a  year.'  There  may  be  a  tinge  of  envy 
on  the  side  of  the  poor;  but  is  not  greater  wrong 
done  by  those  who  will  take  these  large  sums  while 
their  brethren  have  scarcely  a  whole  garment  and 
are  famishing  for  food?  If  it  be  asked,  'Why  don't 
they  tell  it?'  They  have  a  memory  that  when  they 
have  told  it  it  has  been  in  vain.  True  love  finds  out 
some  things;  it  has  not  to  be  told  them.  It  is  in- 
quisitive— with  intent  of  kindness." 

"Dear  Dad,  one  of  the  Old  Fathers  said,  a  bishop 
who  appropriates  to  his  own  use  much  money  is  a 
'stealer  of  the  bread  of  the  poor.'  At  that  time,  both 
came  out  of  the  same  fund.  The  bigger  the  sum 
taken  by  the  clergyman  the  smaller  the  amount  left 
for  the  supply  of  the  needy." 

"Well  now,  since  our  Lord  has  laid  it  down  that 
His  ministers  may  'live/  what  does  it  cost  to  live? 


Righteousness  and  Equality  Demanded  79 

That  depends  on  what  style  of  extravagance  one  will 
keep  up,  or  what  frugality  he  will  adopt.  If  he  fasts 
oft,  there  is  a  save  there.  If  he  will  be  an  example 
of  what  a  minister  can  go  without,  that  will  cut  off  a 
lot.  A  committee  in  New  York  figured  it  that  the 
cost  of  keep  for  a  family  of  five,  nourishing  food, 
middling  quality  clothes,  was  between  $12  and  $13 
a  week.  That  was  before  the  present  high  prices 
for  necessary  foods.  Into  a  question-box  of  a  minis- 
ter of  the  city  was  dropped  a  letter:  Would  you 
advise  a  young  woman  to  marry  a  young  man  whose 
wages  is  only  fifteen  dollars  a  week?'  The  answer 
given  was,  that  $15  would  be  enough  to  keep  two 
willing  to  live  carefully,  but  more  would  be  required 
to  meet  expenses  as  family  came  on ;  and  his  counsel 
was  that  they  agree  together  to  wait  until  his  wages 
was  raised  to  twenty-five  dollars,  which  would  be 
ample  for  a  plain  living,  afford  money  to  buy  in- 
surance, and  leave  some  for  deposit  in  the  bank 
'against  a  rainy  day/  But  it  cost  the  supporters  of 
that  minister  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifteen  dol- 
lars a  week,  in  salary  alone,  to  keep  his  family! 
This  says  nothing  of  perhaps  twenty-five  dollars 
more  a  week  received  as  marriage  fees.  When  a 
sense  of  equitable  righteousness  shall  come  home  to 
the  Church  such  a  minister  will  not  be  the  load  that 
he  is  upon  a  generous  people.  Brethren  who  do  equal- 
ly high  service  for  a  pittance  that  reflects  shame  up- 
on Christian  people  will  then  get  some  of  the  differ- 
ence. At  any  rate,  establish  the  Community  life 
and  all  this  inequality  and  injustice  will  come  to  an 
end,  swept  into  the  sea  of  oblivion.  Then  every 
family  will  have  guaranteed  to  it  all  it  can  rightly 
use,  which  is  all  that  anybody  should  ask.  To  re- 
quire more  is  to  be  unchristian.  What  a  solvent  of 
unrighteousness  is  the  new  Christian  system  of  liv- 
ing !  Desire  it ;  pray  for  it !  But  this  is  not  enough 
unless  we  also  covenant  together  and  work  for  it." 


CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Primitive  Church  Communistic 


"THE  primitive  Christian  Church,  John,  for  whom 
we  have  such  ardent  love,  was  not  without  her  faults, 
and  serious  faults  they  were;  but  it  could  hardly  be 
expected  that,  coming  as  her  members  did  out  of  the 
grossness  and  ignorance  and  superstition  of  heathenT 
ism,  and  in  respect  of  the  Jews  out  of  carnal  wor- 
ship and  formality,  they  would  perfectly  represent 
the  exalted  principles  of  the  Holy  Son  of  God.  They 
were  frail  human  beings  as  we  are;  men  of  like  pas- 
sions with  ourselves.  They  had  bad  habits  to  break 
and  temptations  of  environment  to  conquer.  But 
over  against  this,  and  more  attractive  to  the  world 
than  anything  it  had  ever  seen,  was  the  new  Social 
relationship  the  Christians  sustained  to  one  another. 
Power,  passion,  had  been  in  evidence  and  on  ex- 
hibition everywhere  and  in  all  time ;  but  now  a  new 
thing  appears,  a  Society  founded  upon  love.  The 
new  doctrine,  or  dogmata,  was  of  tremendous  im- 
port, the  announcement  of  a  Saviour  and  Lord;  but 
here,  in  a  Society,  a  body  of  flesh-and-blood  men,  the 
doctrine  of  the  new  Master  materialized  into  a  con- 
cordant Unity  that  was  admirable  beyond  descrip- 
tion. In  the  eyes  of  a  philosopher  the  Gospel  of 
Christ  might  appear  incredible  and  even  foolish- 
ness; but  as  a  Social  principle  His  commandments, 


82     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

'Be  one ;  live  as  brethren ;  love  one  another/  was  an 
undeniable  success,  and  positively  unassailable/' 

"The  recollection  of  that  happy  state  of  the  Church, 
dear  Dad,  makes  me  sorry  that  it  was  not  con- 
tinued until  now;  for  certainly  the  ecclesiastical  or- 
ganizations of  our  day  are  nothing  like  it.  Do  you 
not  think  it  may  be  possible  to  restore  the  Christian 
Community,  with  its  love,  as  of  old?  It  seems  to 
me  it  would  be  worthy  the  unceasing  prayer  and 
efforts  of  the  best  of  men  to  re-establish  it." 

"John,  I  hope  and  pray  and  labor  that  I  may  do 
something  on  this  line;  although  we  must  remem- 
ber that  we  are  in  the  time  of  the  apostasy,  concern- 
ing which  Scripture  says  men  shall  be  lovers  of 
their  own  selves  and  ruled  by  covetousness.  This 
declension  from  goodness  is  already  here.  Still, 
there  must  be  some  who  realize  that  things  are  not 
among  believers  in  Christ  as  they  should  be,  who 
may  agree  to  return  to  primitive  love  in  a  Social 
life,  in  which  we  shall  all  care  for  each  other.  'As 
many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  are  the 
sons  of  God/  and  the  Holy  Spirit  prompts  to  this 
near  and  blessed  Communion." 

"Dad,  with  the  example  of  Christ  and  the  Apostles, 
the  teaching  of  Scripture  and  the  urgings  of  the 
indwelling  Spirit  of  God,  I  hope  reluctance  to  enter 
into  a  covenant  of  mutual  love  and  help  will  give 
way." 

"John,  I  was  telling  you  about  Christianity  as  it 
was  before  innovations  altered  it  for  the  pride  and 
gain  of  individuals.  I  would  first  speak  about  our 
Lord  and  His  twelve  Apostles.  Roman  Catholic 
writers,  pleading  for  the  cenobic  life,  have  made 
assertion  that  Jesus  and  the  Twelve  led  a  semi-mon- 
astic existence.  That  is  not  true;  it  is  one  of  the 
exaggerations  of  the  Papal  church.  It  is  not  true 


The  Primitive  Church  Communistic    83 

that  the  Apostolate  were  celibates.  It  is  not  true 
that  when  they  became  apostles  they  separated  from 
their  wives.  It  is  not  true  that  they  took  vows  to 
lead  the  single  life.  It  is  not  true  that  they  shut 
themselves  up  in  religious  houses  and  became  clois- 
tered and  interned  individuals.  But  it  is  true,  that 
the  disciples,  believing  in  Jesus  and  attaching  them- 
selves to  Him,  companied  with  Him,  followed  Him 
on  His  journeys.  They  lived  together  in  the  same 
house  when  they  stayed  for  a  time  in  any  particular 
place.  In  Jerusalem  they  dwelt  together.  One  of 
their  habitations,  hired  I  presume,  is  mentioned  sev- 
eral times — their  departure  from  it  and  their  return 
after  a  preaching  and  healing  tour,  or  a  visit  to  some- 
body who  invited  the  Master's  presence  and  help. 
The  people  crowded  in  and  filled  the  place,  particu- 
larly tax-gatherers  and  open  sinners ;  and  when  the 
simple  meal  was  spread  all  present  ate  with  them. 
This  was  before  the  resurrection ;  before  Jesus  had 
begun  to  build  His  Church ;  that  is,  before  the  disci- 
ples were  gathered  together  into  a  visible  organized 
body  with  Christ  as  its  Head  and  Ruler.  '  Jesus 
speaks  of  them  as  'those  who  have  continued  with 
Me  in  my  temptation*  (trial)  ;  an  apostle,  to  take  the 
place  of  Judas  Iscariot,  is  mentioned  as  'one  who 
companied  with  us*  (the  Twelve)." 

"Dad,  they  certainly  kept  together,  united  by  a 
common  interest;  and  I  remember  they  had  a  com- 
mon fund,  and  that  Judas  the  traitor  was  their  treas- 
urer— 'had  the  bag/  " 

"That,  and  much  more,  might  be  said  of  the  pre- 
Pentecostal  era  of  the  Church.  But  the  number  of 
the  disciples  having  multiplied  to  such  a  host — at 
the  descent  of  the  Spirit  three  thousand  converts 
were  made  in  a  single  day — it  became  necessary  to 
put  them  in  order,  and  set  over  the  several  groups 


84     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

or  companies  exemplary  persons,  able  to  teach  them 
and  superintend  them  generally,  and  so  officers  were 
appointed — the  word  is  not  a  good  one,  'shepherds' 
is  better — to  serve  them  in  the  Lord." 

"Dad,  was  not  that  the  beginning  of  'ecclesiastical 
orders?'  and  is  it  not  justification  for  their  existence 
now  ?  I  ask,  because  the  Pope  of  Rome  and  the  Epis- 
copal bodies  who  tell  us  Christians  who  do  not  look 
upon  the  peculiar  garments  of  bishops  and  priests 
with  reverence,  but  esteem  them  as  the  rough  gar- 
ments (skins)  of  the  false  prophets  who  garbed 
themselves  differently  from  other  people  to  pass 
themselves  off  as  real  prophets  of  God — these  say,  it 
was  then  they  were  put  in  authority  over  the  flock, 
and  were  given  charge  to  go  through  their  perform- 
ances." 

"Dear  John,  I  answer  this  question  because  I  can- 
not be  rude  to  you,  having  learned  better  manners, 
but  the  claim  is  one  to  be  scoffed  at  and  derided;  it 
is  preposterous  in  the  highest.  It  assumes,  too,  total 
ignorance  upon  our  part  of  facts ;  and  really,  though 
I  humbly  own  that  I  know  little  of  what  there  is  to 
be  known,  I  resent  treatment  as  a  complete  ignor- 
amus. This  puts  me  in  mind  of  an  incident  in  my 
life.  On  my  last  visit  to  England  I  made  a  trip  to 
the  famous  collegiate  city  of  Cambridge.  Here  stand 
imposing  buildings  of  learning,  and  I  am  not  insens- 
ible to  reverence  for  seats  of  culture.  But  as  I  be- 
held this  great  assembly  of  colleges  I  thought,  it  is 
not  necessary  for  spiritual  effectiveness  to  know  the 
many  branches  and  abstruse  subjects  taught  in  this 
great  school;  and  the  really  important  things  are 
open  and  discernible  by  all.  Coming  out  of  a  quad- 
rangular court,  there  stood  in  the  portal  a  gentleman 
whom  I  took  to  be  a  professor.  His  square  hat  and 
gown  made  me  think  he  was  one  of  the  instructors. 


The  Primitive  Church  Communistic     85 

We  passed  the  usual  salutations  of  friendliness  and 
good  will ;  when  I  said  to  him :  'I  have  been  thinking 
there  are  some  things  that  a  school-boy  can  know 
as  well  as  a  professor ;  that  a  professor,  with  all  his 
learning,  cannot  make  less  nor  more.  For  example, 
that  two  and  two  are  four ;  a  professor  cannot  make 
it  five.'  He  saw  the  point  and  laughed;  we  laughed 
together.  So,  for  anybody  to  say  that  the  -gathered 
disciples,  formed  into  congregations  (for  Church  is 
simply  congregation)  became  the  institution  we  now 
behold  it,  is  making  more  of  the  facts  or  story  as  told 
us  in  the  Word  than  truth  allows;  it  is  saying,  two 
and  two  are  a  hundred." 

"Dad,  I  perceive  you  do  not  believe  in  prelacy." 
"There  was  no  prelacy,  my  son,  in  the  primitive 
Church;  it  was  a  charming  brotherhood,  a  united 
household ;  and  common  sense  and  experience  will  tell 
you  that  no  such  proud  overlings  are  consistent  with 
brothers  in  their  father's  house.  Besides,  Jesus  di- 
rectly said  on  one  occasion,  the  kings  of  the  earth 
exercise  authority  over  their  subjects,  treating 
them  as  inferiors ;  'but  it  shall  not  be  so  among  you. 
One  is  your  Master,  even  Christ,  and  all  ye  are 
brethren.'  That  'it  shall  not  be  so  among  you/  set- 
tles for  me  the  assumption  of  father,  bishop,  greater 
bishop,  pope,  etc.,  in  the  Church.  The  early  Church 
consisted  of  brothers,  at  home  together  in  a  heavenly 
fellowship,  with  sympathy  for  one  another  such  as 
brothers  feel.' " 

"Would  to  God  it  were  so  to-day,  dear  Dad.  Even 
in  the  dissenting  or  non-conforming  bodies — to  Epis- 
copalianism,  I  mean — there  is  the  great  paid  hireling, 
through  whom  solely,  in  public  service  on  the  Lord's 
day  the  grace  of  God  is  dispensed  to  the  congrega- 
tion. But  I  have  renounced  the  fiction  that  through 
one  man,  a  salaried  man,  comes  to  the  body  all  wis- 


86     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

dom  and  unction,  and  that  to  him  alone  it  is  given 
to  bless  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  as  in  the  final  bene- 
diction. Taught  of  God,  I  have  learned  that  min- 
istry is  given  to  all  saints,  to  be  exercised  as  the 
Spirit  wills  (operates)  in  every  member." 

"Well,  we  will  leave  this  general  talk  and  come 
back  to  the  Church  as  she  sallied  forth  at  the  first, 
'fair  as  the  moon,  bright  as  the  sun,  terrible  as  an 
army  with  banners/  0  she  was  an  excellent  insti- 
tution, comely  above  all  the  societies  of  earth.  Her 
loveliness  was  her  love — coupled  with  her  purity  of 
life.  This  virgin-daughter  of  the  Father  of  All  won 
the  hearts  of  the  devotees  of  systems  that  knew 
philosophies  and  rites  that  had  no  kindness  nor  vir- 
tue to  them.  The  world  is  not  so  enamored  of  the 
Church  to-day.  She  is  not  loving  as  she  was  at 
the  beginning.  This  deficiency,  this  awful  lack,  is 
one  that  is  felt  and  complained  of  even  by  her  own 
members,  not  to  speak  of  the  outside  world.  But 
there  are  individuals  from  whom  the  supreme  grace 
shines  forth  in  splendid  effulgence.  Grief  that 
Christian  bodies  are  not  households  of  brotherly 
affection !  Some  churches  discard  evangelical  dogma 
altogether — require  not  consent  for  fellowship  to 
the  facts  set  forth  for  belief  in  the  New  Testament 
and  called  The  Gospel;  which  speaks  of  redemp- 
tion by  Christ,  sins  pardoned  for  His  name,  the 
coming  Theocracy,  etc.  They  say,  belief  in  a  Re- 
deemer and  a  coming  glorious  reign  of  God  in  which 
the  Messiah  will  rule,  and  to  which  He  is  the  'door' 
of  entrance,  is  not  essential:  love  is  everything. 
'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God;  thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbor ;  practice  the  'Golden  Rule' ;  be  a  good 
fellow;  be  kind;  assist  your  brother!'  This  is  the 
position  of  The  Church  of  the  People.  I  do  not  know 
the  members;  but  if  they  live  up  to  their  covenant 


The  Primitive  Church  Communistic     87 

— not  confession  of  faith,  but  covenant  of  mutual 
friendliness  and  brotherly  help — they  are  Socially 
good  neighbors;  but  it  comes  short  of  Christianity. 
But  now  here  is  another  'covenant/  It  is  that  of 
an  'orthodox'  church,  The  Church  of  the  Open  Door; 
certainly  a  very  pretentious  church,  putting  itself 
forward  as  above  all  a  conserver  of  The  Faith  to 
the  last  iota.  The  nature  of  its  covenant  is  con- 
fessional. It  defines  everything  there  is  in  Scrip- 
ture, and  requires  from  a  joiner  the  knowledge  and 
convictions  of  a  mature  Christian  who  has  mastered 
all  theology — and  philosophy  as  well  (for  some  of 
its  propositions  are  philosophical) .  A  babe  in  Christ 
must  be  a  full  grown  man  in  understanding  to  be 
admitted  to  membership !  More  than  that,  it  exacts 
a  promise,  that  should  a  believer  hereafter  change 
his  views  upon  any  point  of  the  creed  to  which  he 
subscribes  he  will  forthwith  take  himself  away — 
get  out  of  the  church!  The  covenant  requires  of 
him  'loyalty*  to  his  own  church,  whatever  that  may 
mean.  (It  means,  generally,  to  stay  at  home,  and 
give  one's  money  and  efforts  solely  to  the  institu- 
tion, and  not  to  be  a  visiting  brother  to  other  assem- 
blies.) It  devotes  many  lines  in  its  confession  of 
faith  to  some  subjects,  but  dismisses  God,  the  holy 
and  blessed  Father  of  our  Lord  and  ourselves,  with 
a  paragraph  of  but  two  lines!  And,  in  fact,  God 
is  not  a  subject  at  all  of  the  confession  of  The  Church 
of  the  Open  Door,  although  He  is  the  supreme  and 
most  blessed  Being;  the  scant  reference  to  the  liv- 
ing Father  says  nothing  whatever  of  His  individu- 
ality, perfections,  powers.  It  is  not  for  me  to  say 
whether  I  do,  or  do  not,  assent  to  its  every  propo- 
sition, since  I  am  not  a  candidate  for  membership. 
So  much  for  the  Church's  'faith,'  or  rather  sub- 
scription of  belief.  To  a  former  declaration  of  its 


88     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

doctrine,  the  compiler  added  the  line,  'Sounds  good ; 
doesn't  it?'  So  that  doctrine,  dogma,  stands  very, 
very  high  with  this  church.  I  also  hold  faith  to 
be  of  the  essence,  with  love,  of  Christianity;  but 
not  theological  definitions.  But  when  I  look  for  love, 
that  basic  quality  of  our  salvation,  that  knitting 
element  of  believers  into  true  unity,  I  find  it  ENTIRELY 
OMITTED.  There  is  not  one  word  in  the  covenant 
of  this  church  inculcating  or  requiring  Christian 
brethren  to  love  one  another,  as  a  condition  of  fel- 
lowship! Think  of  it!  A  church  supposed  to  be 
the  purest  and  most  Christian  in  Los  Angeles  with- 
out a  word  about  love!  I  do  not  say  there  is  no 
love  among  the  members;  but  clearly  it  is  not  a 
leading  element;  it  is  not  of  enough  importance  to 
be  mentioned  in  its  confession  and  covenant !  To  me, 
this  is  a  vital  defect." 

"Yes,  dear  Dad,  some  persons  are  such  doctrin- 
aires— their  apprehension  of  Scripture,  of  course — 
that  they  shut  out  a  saint  of  saints,  the  most  Christly 
and  estimable  man  in  a  community,  should  he  differ 
in  honest  judgment  from  them  upon  any  matter! 
They  must  have  bidden  goodby  to  humility  and  have 
assumed  infallibility  and  inerrancy  for  themselves! 
Besides,  they  make  of  mental  infirmity  moral  or 
spiritual  hostility." 

"Well,  be  that  as  it  may,  in  the  early  Christian 
Fellowship  the  world  beheld  for  the  first  time  Faith 
and  Love  united.  Not  The  Faith  only,  but  The 
Faith  and  the  Fellowship.  The  Fellowship,  the 
Heavenly  Sociability,  disposed  the  heathen  to  listen 
to  the  Word.  The  fame  of  the  new  'sect/  as  it  was 
called,  spread  into  all  the  world,  till  nominally — 
would  God  it  had  been  really — Christianity,  under 
Constantine,  became  the  world's  religion ;  or  rather, 
the  religion  of  the  Roman  Empire.  But  alas,  by  that 


The  Primitive  Church  Communistic     89 

time  the  trait  that  made  her  queen  had  departed. 
The  Church  was  no  longer  the  church  of  the  first 
century." 

"0  Dad,  what  you  say  is  verity  of  verities ;  it  was 
Christ's  commandment  of  love  lived  that  won  out. 
It  made  men  glad  that  they  were  ever  born  to  get 
into  such  a  harbor  of  peace  out  of  the  sea  of  the 
world's  strife!  The  Church  was  a  city  of  refuge 
to  those  within,  and  a  city  set  upon  a  hill  as  a  bea- 
con to  those  outside." 

"Yes ;  and  I  will  try  to  picture  to  you  how  it  was. 
Let  us  go  back  and  visit  a  city  of  the  Caesars  where 
Christ  had  been  received.  That  man  who  is  coming 
toward  us  is  a  disciple.  He  does  not  hurry  by  us, 
you  notice;  he  is  stopping.  Teace  to  thee,  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus!  Are  you  staying  in  the 
city,  without  home?'  We  are  strangers,  and  have 
no  lodging  place.'  'If  thou  countest  thy  servant 
worthy  to  be  host,  I  give  thee  invitation  to  my 
house  and  the  comforts  I  am  able  to  afford  thee, 
in  the  name  of  the  holy  Lord.'  We  accept  the  prof- 
fered hospitality.  To  offer  money  for  it  would  be 
gravest  insult ;  only  to  think  this  kindness  is  for  gain 
would  hurt  if  suggested.  We  make  ourselves  known 
as  brethren,  and  are  invited  to  a  gathering  of  Chris- 
tians, if  indeed  the  house  where  we  stay  is  not  itself 
a  meeting-place  for  believers.  We  enter  where 
prayer  is  wont  to  be  made;  are  announced,  and 
received  in  the  Lord.  The  cordial  greeting  we  re- 
ceive would  be  called  a  'lot  of  fuss*  in  these  days. 
But  love  in  the  early  Church  was  not  esteemed  gush 
because  at  the  bottom  there  was  sincerity  of  affec- 
tion. The  kiss  of  love  is  planted  on  our  cheek.  We 
are  in  a  Community  where  is  fulfilled  the  commands, 
'Have  fervent  love  one  toward  another,'  'See  that 
ye  love  one  another  with  a  pure  heart  fervently.' 


90     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

Here  we  find  'love  indeed/  A  brother  has  just  risen 
to  his  feet :  'Holy  and  beloved  brethren/  he  begins. 
He  intersperses  his  address  with  'Beloved/  'Beloved 
in  the  Lord/  'My  dearly  beloved/  He  talks  of  some- 
body as  'Dearly  beloved  and  longed  for/  Indeed 
through  all  the  talks — for  all  have  liberty  to  speak 
in  turn — such  words  of  endearment  and  cordial  af- 
fection are  used  as  go  straight  from  the  heart  of 
the  speaker  to  the  hearts  of  the  hearers.  They  are 
heart-to-heart  talks.  Sermonizing?  Bah!  That  was 
learned  later  from  the  heathen.  The  philosophers 
took  a  line  from  say  Homer's  Iliad,  and  descanted 
upon  it,  for  their  own  glory.  The  people  who  speak 
are  prophets.  That  is  the  divine  order  of  speakers ; 
the  other,  sermonizers,  is  the  human.  Prophecy  is  a 
breathing  of  God  through  a  man;  and  the  rule  was 
'Ye  may  all  prophesy,  one  by  one';  sermonizing  is 
an  'art/  'The  Art  of  Sermonizing/  is  it  not  de- 
clared even  in  the  title  of  a  book  that  tells  how  it  is 
done?  A  sister  has  arrived  by  the  name  of  Phoebe, 
and  a  letter  has  come  from  an  Apostle — so  beloved 
that  they  would  willingly  be  blinded  themselves  if 
they  could  cure  the  trouble  of  his  eyesight.  The  letter 
is  read  to  the  Church.  'Help  our  sister,  Phoebe/  it 
says,  'in  whatsoever  business  she  hath  need  of  you/ 
That  is  enough,  apart  from  the  spontaneous  good- 
ness of  their  own  re-made  hearts,  to  insure  for  sis- 
ter Phoebe  all  the  assistance  she  requires.  The 
Church  is  not  too  busy,  is  not  too  much  occupied  with 
'church  affairs/  to  respond  to  cases  of  individual 
necessity.  Such  a  matter  was  a  Church  affair — of 
first  obligation.  The  'brother*  was  first  objective  in 
service." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  never  massed  things  together  as  you 
are  doing.  I  never  realized  as  I  now  do  that  love 
was  only  another  word  for  kindly  helpfulness  among 


The  Primitive  Church  Communistic     91 

the  early  Christians;  and  I  have  half  a  mind  that  I 
will  substitute  it  in  my  New  Testament  for  'love'  in 
the  passages  where  that  word  occurs  in  usage  to  the 
brethren.  For  example:  'Love  the  brotherhood/  it 
seems  to  me  that  'Be  helpers  of  the  brotherhood* 
would  express  the  sense. 

"Yes,  John,  fraternal  helpfulness  is  brotherly 
love.  Not  a  word  on  the  tongue  but  an  extended 
hand  of  aid.  Not  a  phrase  of  commiseration  but 
a  gift  satisfying  need." 

"Tell  me  more,  dear  Dad,  about  the  love  of  the 
early  Christians:  with  the  love  of  God,  I  feel  it  is 
the  great  craving  of  the  human  heart ;  but  I  know  by 
experience  a  man  will  hunger  in  vain  for  it  from 
present  Christianity.  'Because  ye  belong  to  our 
church'  is  more  potent  to  secure  even  a  dole  than 
'Because  ye  belong  to  Christ.'  'A  cup  of  cold  water, 
in  the  name  of  a  Methodist,  a  Baptist,  a  Presbyte- 
rian' is  given  where  it  is  denied  if  a  man  asks  it  in 
the  name  of  Christ.  'Because  ye  belong  to  Christ' — 
that  made  men  dear  to  each  other  in  the  primitive 
Church.  What  sounds  more  beautiful  and  what  is 
more  soothing  and  happifying  than  the  words  of  the 
Apostle  Paul  to  the  Thessalonians :  'Being  affec- 
tionately desirous  of  you,  we  (Paul,  Silvanus  and 
Timotheus)  were  willing  to  have  imparted  unto  you, 
not  the  gospel  of  God  only,  but  also  our  own  souls 
(lives) ,  because  ye  were  dear  unto  us.'  The  words 
continually  echo  in  my  mind,  'because  ye  were  dear 
unto  us.' " 

"Dad,  what  about  the  Community  life  you  recom- 
mend to  Christians." 

"John,  a  writer  tells  us  that  Christians,  loving  one 
another  so  dearly,  lived  together  in  communities,  or 
groups,  for  nearly  three  centuries  after  Christ.  Hav- 
ing no  relish  for  the  excesses  and  selfish  pursuits  of 
the  world  they  sought  to  find  in  each  other's  society 


92     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

the  solace  and  purity  they  had  come  to  love ;  besides, 
sometimes  for  safety  they  ran  together  to  some 
underground  place.  You  remember  an  Apostle  said 
of  those  among  whom  they  lived,  they  'think  it 
strange  that  ye  run  not  with  them  to  the  same  excess 
of  riot,  speaking  evil  of  you/  And  this  evil-speaking, 
among  the  rest,  charged  them  with  being  unsociable, 
and  in  their  meetings  plotting  against  the  govern- 
ment. Unsociable,  in  their  enemies'  mouths,  was 
withdrawing  from  them  in  their  evil  practices.  The 
most  social  of  beings  unsociable !  The  popular,  fash- 
ionable churches  want  Christian  ministers,  now-a- 
day,  to  be  'good  mixers,'  members  of  worldly  lodges, 
and  orders,  and  clubs,  and  what  not;  but  the  early 
Christians  'went  unto  them  of  their  own  Company ;' 
and  for  this  they  were  charged  with  unsociability — 
and  hated.  You  know  how  it  is  with  one  who  loves 
another — he  wishes  to  be  as  much  as  possible  in  the 
company  of  the  beloved ;  indeed,  never  to  leave  it,  if 
he  can  remain. 

"Was  not  the  first  Christian  Community  estab- 
lished at  Jerusalem? 

"It  was,  and  a  delightful  account  is  given  of  it  in 
Acts  2  and  4.  Let  me  quote  it:  'And  all  that  be- 
lieved were  together  and  had  all  things  common; 
and  sold  their  possessions  and  goods,  and  parted 
them  to  every  man  as  he  had  need.  And  they,  con- 
tinuing daily  in  the  temple,  and  breaking  bread  from 
house  to  house,  did  eat  their  meat  with  gladness 
and  singleness  of  heart,  praising  God  and  having 
favor  with  all  the  people/  The  effect  was  great 
upon  their  neighbors;  it  had  converting  influence: 
daily,  persons  were  being  saved  and  added  to  their 
number.  And  we  read  in  the  fourth  chapter:  'And 
the  multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one  heart 
and  of  one  soul.  Neither  said  any  of  them  that  ought 
of  the  things  that  he  possessed  was  his  own;  but 


The  Primitive  Church  Communistic     93 

they  had  all  things  common.  And  with  great  power 
gave  the  Apostles  witness  of  the  resurrection  of 
the  Lord  Jesus ;  and  great  grace  was  upon  them  all. 
Neither  was  there  any  among  them  that  lacked ;  for 
as  many  as  were  possessors  of  lands  or  houses  sold 
them,  and  brought  the  prices  of  the  things  that  were 
sold,  and  laid  them  down  at  the  Apostles'  feet,  and 
distribution  was  made  to  every  man  as  he  had  need.' 
This  happy  way  of  living  continued  until  persecu- 
tion of  the  Christians  came,  which  broke  them  up. 
We  read,  Acts  8:1:  'There  was  a  great  persecution 
against  the  Church  which  was  at  Jerusalem;  and 
they  were  all  scattered  abroad  throughout  the  re- 
gions of  Judea  and  Samaria,  except  the  Apostles.'  " 

"Dad,  how  were  they  fed?" 

"John,  it  seems  at  first  that  they  went  from  house 
to  house;  but  later,  after  'deacons'  were  ordained, 
which  is  simply  ministers,  daily  distribution  was 
made,  as  every  man  had  need.  Ecclesiasticism, 
which  corrupts  everything  it  touches  for  its  own  ends, 
has  entirely  changed  the  diaconate  (deaconship) 
from  its  purpose  of  ordination  and  original  service, 
having  done  away  with  the  System  of  which  they 
were  a  part,  and  to  which  they  were  necessary. 
These  deacons  were  really  distributers  of  food  to  the 
Community.  They  were  very  good  men.  The  ac- 
count of  their  appointment  is  as  follows :  Then  the 
Twelve  called  the  multitude  of  the  disciples  unto 
them,  and  said:  'It  is  not  reason  (reasonable)  that 
we  should  leave  the  Word  of  God  and  serve  tables. 
Wherefore,  brethren,  look  ye  out  among  you  seven 
men  of  honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of 
wisdom,  whom  we  may  appoint  over  this  business. 
But  we  will  give  ourselves  continually  to  prayer,  and 
to  the  ministry  of  the  Word.'  " 

"Dad,  and  so  that  was  the  work  and  service  of 
deacons,  was  it,  at  the  first?  They  were  a  kind  of 


94     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

commissariat  for  the  Church  in  community.  How 
different  is  that  from  the  popular  and  clearly  erro- 
neous idea  of  Episcopacy,  that  they  were  the  priest- 
hood in  first  orders." 

"John,  you  will  learn  more  and  more,  as  you  study 
the  Word,  that  nearly  all  that  is  done  today  is  a  trav- 
esty upon  God's  design  and  institution.  Let  me  add 
this,  however,  to  what  I  have  said  about  deacons,  as 
corroborative  of  the  fact  that  they  were  distributers 
of  food ;  first,  they  were  to  have  reputation  for  hon- 
esty, and  you  can  easily  see  that  they  would  not  be 
pilferers  if  honest ;  second,  they  were  to  be  men  full 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  of  wisdom,  so  that  when  they 
went  their  round  they  could  counsel  and  help  spirit- 
ually as  opportunity  offered.  But  I  must  stop  now. 
I  want,  however,  to  speak  to  you  further  about  the 
new  Nation,  the  new  Society,  the  new  Order,  the  new 
Fellowship,  as  well  as  the  new  Faith,  that  came  into 
being  through  Jesus  Christ  and  His  Apostles." 


CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Christian  Church  a  New  Nation 


"IN  the  early  Church  the  world  beheld  the  begin- 
ning or  arising  of  a  new  Nation.  It  was  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Kingdom  of  God  among  the  kingdoms 
of  men — under  a  new  administration  and  with  new 
methods.  Its  authoritative  Lord  was  the  glorified 
Jesus.  That  Kingdom  had  its  laws.  Outside  the 
first  (which  was  love  to  God) ,  all  were  summable  in 
one.  It  read :  'A  new  commandment  give  I  unto  you, 
that  ye  love  one  another/  Therefore  it  was  a  spirit 
rather  than  a  code  that  was  the  foundation  of  this 
new  Nation  or  Kingdom.  And  all  its  laws  or  rules 
grew  out  of  this  spirit.  They  were  love-command- 
ments, as  distinguished  from  equitable.  They  re- 
quired more  than  mere  righteousness ;  they  were  act- 
ings from  good  will,  from  generosity.  The  brethren 
lived  in  mutual  sympathy.  Holy  Scripture  calls  this 
Church  a  Nation.  'Ye  are  a  holy  nation/  said  Peter. 
A  'nation*  was  being  born  when  the  Church  was  be- 
ing established.  The  constituent  members  of  it  were 
prepared  individually.  They  were  spiritual.  Yet 
they  were  a  veritable  Nation.  They  were  a  People. 
'Ye  are  a  peculiar  people/  said  Peter,  again.  There 
were  already  many  peoples  or  families  in  the  world. 
Their  origin  could  be  traced  back  to  some  name  of  the 
past.  They  were  tribal,  with  tribal  prejudices  and 
selfish  interests.  This  People,  or  family,  was  the 


96     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

people  or  family  of  God.  It  was  not  a  blood 
progeny ;  and  yet  blood,  the  precious  blood  of  Christ, 
had  an  essential  relation  to  its  existence.  It 
was  a  Society,  formed  of  called-out  ones — from 
every  nation  and  kingdom  and  tribe  and  tongue,  to 
be  one  body,  to  associate  together  for  specific  ends, 
such  as  no  other  society  contemplated.  It  was 
a  new  Order,  under  One  who  was  a  Priest-king,  after 
the  order  of  Melchizedek.  Shall  I  name  it,  The  Or- 
der of  the  Son  of  God  ?  Certainly,  it  was  a  'religious' 
Order.  It  was  a  new  Fellowship.  That  word  'fel- 
lowship' is  greater  than  is  generally  supposed.  It 
means  a  partnership  with  Jesus,  the  King  of  glory ; 
with  the  Father  of  lights,  or  perfections ;  a  partner- 
ship with  one  another.  Truly/  said  an  Apostle,  'our 
fellowship  [partnership]  is  with  the  Father,  and 
with  His  Son  Jesus  Christ/  And  again,  we  are  said 
to  be  'called  to  the  fellowship  [partnership]  of  God's 
Son.'  Also,  it  is  a  fellowship  [partnership]  between 
brethren  who  are  like  each  other,  in  trust  and  sub- 
jection to  God.  'If  we  walk  in  the  light  as  He  is  in 
the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with  another,  and 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin.'  Now  all  this  was  not  of  the  brain  but  visible 
to  the  eyes.  Christians  had  come  to  stay,  come  to 
grow — as  a  Nation.  No  Nation,  Kingdom,  People, 
Society,  Order,  Fellowship,  could  be  more  tangible. 
Together  with  the  Word,  the  Faith,  the  Gospel,  they 
went  forth.  The  Evangelist  with  the  Evangel  made 
their  mark.  They  went  everywhere,  breathing 
peace  and  holding  forth  the  torch  of  life.  The  Nation 
was  a  composite  of  all  nations.  Jew,  Greek,  Roman, 
Scythian,  barbarian  of  every  name,  they  came ;  but, 
instructed  and  baptized,  they  were  assimilated  into 
one,  and  henceforth  were  of  no  nationality  but  the 
one  holy  People  of  God.  All  their  hostilities,  preju- 
dices, customs,  sank  into  the  sea  of  oblivion.  They 


The  Christian  Church  a  New  Nation   97 

were  molten  into  one.    They  became  the  love  people!" 

"Truly,  Dad,  they  were  a  very  real  as  well  as  a 
very  distinct  People;  a  little  bit  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  upon  earth;  understood  as  doers  of  God's 
will." 

"They  were  a  People  without  caste  or  class.  The 
wise  man  had  to  renounce  his  wisdom  to  belong  to 
it.  The  great  man  had  to  surrender  his  title  for  ad- 
mission. The  mighty  man  had  to  give  up  his  boast 
of  power  to  be  a  member.  It  was  at  once  a  great 
leveller  and  a  great  raiser.  It  cast  down  the  person 
of  high  degree  and  exalted  the  man  of  low  estate. 
Really,  I  mean ;  literally.  Or  what  means  such  a  pas- 
sage as  this :  'Let  the  brother  of  low  degree  rejoice 
in  that  he  is  exalted,  but  the  rich  in  that  he  is  made 
low*  (abased)  ?  As  in  the  monastic  life  prince  and 
peasant  become  'Brother' — the  prince  no  more  so 
than  the  peasant — so  in  this  new  Nation.  Looking  at 
the  differences  in  the  standing  of  men  to-day,  the 
social  distinctions,  the  degrees  of  respect,  we  ex- 
claim, Where,  0  God,  is  Thy  Church,  Thy  People,  Thy 
Nation  ?  Of  old,  there  was  equality ;  but  it  was  a  Di- 
vine equality,  in  which  they  were  all  unspeakably 
raised.  They  obtained  for  the  names  they  discarded 
the  more  excellent  name  of  Sons  of  God.  This  was 
the  Nation  that  originated  soon  after  Pentecost." 

"Yes,  Dad,  it  was  the  putting  down  of  the  mighty 
from  their  seats  and  the  exaltation  of  obscure  men, 
men  of  low  degree;  but  at  the  same  time  it  exalted 
the  whole  number  to  the  Divine  rank  and  nature. 
How  wonderful !  how  blessed !  May  it  happen  again ! 
There  seems  no  good  reason  why  it  shall  not  be  so 
if  we  yield  ourselves  for  it,  will  it,  and  take  measures 
to  bring  it  about.  It  probably  never  will  be,  generally, 
before  the  Millenium,  but  it  can  be  in  part  now  to  all 
who  will  submit,  pray  and  act  to  make  it  a  reality." 

"John,  how  much  that  meant  to  the  world,  especial- 


98     The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

ly  at  that  time  when  there  was  but  one  sovereign,  free 
people  and  the  other  nations  were  tributary,  we  can 
only  imagine.  'I  am  a  Roman !'  was  the  proud  boast 
of  the  dominant  man ;  outside  of  that,  servility  ruled 
and  manhood  was  nearly  effaced.  But  to  both  these 
alike  the  door  of  the  Church  stood  wide  open,  and  a 
voice  said,  'Enter,  and  become  one  of  the  new  Na- 
tion.' And  they  did  enter ;  in  time,  millions  of  them. 
But  what  a  Nation  it  was!  A  resident  'Anglican 
Catholic'  conceives  of  this  Nation  as  a  'hospital' 
where  the  sick  enter  to  be  cured !  (This  is  the  worst 
ever. )  A  local  bishop  preached  a  sermon  in  which  he 
declared  the  Church  to  be  a  Society  in  which  ordin- 
ary men,  full  of  sin,  are  worked  over  into  'saints' — 
at  the  last ;  but  are  anything  but  saints  now !  Some 
have  thought  of  this  institution  as  a  sort  of  poor- 
house  or  asylum  for  the  indigent.  The  new  Nation 
was  neither.  It  was  a  new  creation  of  God — His 
most  beautiful  handiwork!  It  was  good  from  the 
beginning.  It  was  a  royal,  priestly  body.  It  is  as 
absurd  as  it  is  wicked  to  regard  the  Church  as  a 
lazar-house,  a  reformatory,  an  almshouse.  0  beau- 
tiful temple  of  the  living  God  how  these  'Catholics' 
with  over-the-sea  affiliation  do  think  and  speak  of 
thee!  It  must  be  their  Church  they  are  describing, 
not  God's." 

"Dear  Dad,  these  blue-blooded  ecclesiastics  defame 
and  libel  God's  Holy  Church,  His  Nation  among 
nations !  I  feel  the  same  repugnance  to  their  teach- 
ing as  I  do  to  their  false  claims." 

"John,  none  could  gain  admission  to  this  Nation, 
according  to  its  rules  for  citizenship,  except  by  con- 
version. Paul  says  to  the  Ephesians,  'Ye  turned  to 
God  from  idols  to  serve  the  living  and  true  God  and 
to  wait  for  His  Son  from  heaven,  even  Jesus.'  True 
repentance,  abnegation  of  their  old  self  according  to 
their  former  lusts,  was  indispensable.  They  had  to 


The  Christian  Church  a  New  Nation     99 

be  washed  white  to  be  admitted  to  that  Nation.  They 
could  not  come  in  with  their  sins  upon  them.  For 
the  people  were  a  clean  people.  Did  I  not  tell  you 
that  Peter  calls  them  'a  holy  nation'  ?  Now  it  is  true 
that  'holy*  may  mean  in  some  uses  simply  dedicated. 
But  not  in  Christians.  It  must  mean  also,  conse- 
crated, devoted.  The  Nation,  every  member  of  it, 
was  a  'committed'  people ;  a  people  who  having  ac- 
cepted God's  King  for  them,  were  by  obligation  of 
conscience  and  glad  surrender  of  heart  loyalists — 
the  Lord's  own.  Such  was  the  new  Nation.  And 
they  had  a  'vocation,'  although  sham  ministers  of 
Christ  narrow  vocation  (calling)  to  the  life,  min- 
istry or  work  of  their  oath-bound  Orders.  Their 
vocation  was  to  shine  as  lights  in  the  world,  be  be- 
fore men  as  letters  written  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  show 
forth  the  virtues  derived  from  Him  who  had  called 
them  from  darkness  to  light.  Their  creation  was  of 
purpose — that  they  perform  good  works:  'created 
anew  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  which  God 
hath  before  ordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them.' 
They  were,  in  short,  Children  of  the  Resurrection, 
and  seekers  after  the  things  that  are  above.  What  a 
Nation !  'Ye  have  purified  your  souls  [yourselves]  in 
obeying  the  truth,  through  the  Spirit,'  says  Peter, 
'unto  unfeigned  love  of  the  brethren.'  A  people  who 
had  purified  themselves  by  faith.  This  purification 
of  the  soul,  manward,  led  up  to  and  culminated  in 
unfeigned  love  of  the  brethren !  The  Church  of  to- 
day is  terribly  wanting — it  has  not  brought  its  mem- 
bership unto  this  'unfeigned  love  of  the  brethren.' " 

"Dear  Dad !  real,  living  love  of  the  brethren — ah, 
me!" 

"John,  I  do  not  wonder  you  sigh,  'Ah,  me !'  I  have 
often  done  so  myself.  There  are  smiles  for  you  if 
you  are  sect-affiliated.  But  even  then  the  'deep  sweet 
well  of  love'  is  generally  a  fountain  unopened.  But 


100  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

in  the  early  Nation  it  was  an  amazingly  blissful  real- 
ity. That  is,  it  amazed  the  new  convert;  he  mar- 
velled and  rejoiced  at  the  heavenly  atmosphere ;  and 
always,  after  entrance,  he  found  repose  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  saints.  He  was  refreshed,  comforted, 
filled  with  the  love  of  all.  Drink  in  the  sense  of  that 
term  'unfeigned/  Let  me  show  you  a  King,  David. 
He  was  captured  and  brought  into  the  presence  of 
Achish,  King  of  Gath.  Certain  death  confronted 
him.  But  he  bethought  himself  of  a  plan  to  save  his 
life.  Doubtless  the  God  he  served  put  it  into  his 
mind.  So  he  'turned  the  trick'  of  feigning  himself 
mad.  Scrabbling  on  the  door  of  the  gate  of  the 
city,  he  let  the  spittle  run  out  of  his  mouth  down  upon 
his  beard.  And  when  the  king,  his  enemy,  saw  it, 
he  said:  Take  him  away;  why  do  you  bring  a  mad 
man  to  me !'  And  thus  he  escaped.  There  are  many 
men  who  slobber  at  the  mouth  toward  others.  'With 
their  mouth  they  show  much  love/  You  are  to  them 
'dear  brother/  Not  at  all.  They  feign  love.  If  you 
were  dying  for  a  hundred  dollars  and  they  had  a 
thousand  they  would  not  give  you  help.  They  love 
money  too  well.  But  still  they  say  'dear'  or  'be- 
loved/ But  this  fine  Nation  of  old  time  had  purged 
their  souls.  Self-love,  money-greed  had  been  elimin- 
ated from  their  systems  by  a  dose  of  heavenly  medi- 
cine. John,  the  oil  of  love,  of  blessed  brotherly  love, 
is  the  best,  the  only  sure  cure  for  the  greedy  eye  and 
the  grasping  hand.  Love  is  the  sovereign  specific 
for  indifference  to  a  brother's  being  and  well-being." 

"And  did  the  believers  live  thus  together  in  love, 
dear  Dad?" 

"They  did,  John.  I  will  give  you  Scripture  testi- 
mony, my  authority,  that  the  new  People  were  a 
splendid  People,  for  all  their  shortcomings  and  tres- 
passes; that  they  were  the  salt  of  the  earth,  pre- 
serving society  from  complete  putrefaction.  (That 


The  Christian  Church  a  New  Nation  101 

salt  they  had  in  themselves.)  Let  us  dwell  on  the 
love  they  had  toward  each  other;  and  then  their 
kindness  and  labor  for  those  outside  themselves ;  for 
they  never  said  to  a  stranger,  as  party-men  say  to- 
day to  the  needy :  'You  are  a  stranger ;  I  feel  under 
no  obligation  to  you ;  go  to  your  own  church/  'Your 
own  church* — as  if  the  body  of  Christ  were  many, 
rather  than  one!  while  they  sing,  'We  are  all  one 
body.'  Among  themselves,  ministry,  service,  in 
things  spiritual  and  temporal,  was  a  living,  satisfy- 
ing fact.  They  did  not  depute  their  personal  duty  to 
paid  officials.  Officialism  and  perfunctory  service 
as  it  exists  today  had  not  then  arisen.  Priestcraft, 
with  its  central  idea  that  the  Church  exists  for  a 
sacerdos,  was  not  even  a  dream.  No;  the  Church 
existed  for  all  its  members;  for  self-edification,  ex- 
hortation, comfort.  The  idea  is  as  untrue  as  it  is  un- 
natural. Some  of  the  members  taught,  some  ruled, 
some  'served  tables'  (looked  after  provisions) .  Cer- 
tain ones  addicted  themselves  to  special  ministries; 
others  did  anything  that  the  Holy  Spirit  moved  them 
to  do.  But  all  was  done  of  love ;  love  was  the  prin- 
ciple of  their  service.  0  how  they  labored  for  one 
another  through  mutual  love !  Comparatively  it  may 
be  said,  Christendom  of  to-day  does  not  know  love. 
I  have  in  mind  numerous  acts  of  benevolence  and 
charitable  institutions,  but  they  are  not  the  same  as 
the  love  of  original  Christianity.  I  rejoice,  however, 
to  say  that  there  are  individual  hearts  mellow  with 
this  heavenly  grace,  who,  had  they  lived  in  Apos- 
tolic times,  would  have  been  in  their  element.  I  hope 
to  find  some  such  to  restore  in  Community  this  sweet- 
est relationship  of  believer  with  believer." 

"Dad,  I  think  we  had  better  all  begin  and  settle 
down  to  make  more  of  love — love  as  a  life,  rather  than 
as  an  occasional  sporadic  act  or  acts ;  and  I  almost 
think  we  will  have  to  get  away  from  the  Christian 


102  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

bodies  that  make  charity  (love)  but  a  'department*  of 
church  life,  rather  than,  with  faith  and  testimony 
of  the  Gospel,  the  whole  of  it.  The  people  of  God  a 
love  people,  the  holy  nation  a  love  nation — would 
that  it  were  true  in  Society  now !" 

"I  purpose,  John,  that  you  shall  have  before  you 
how  good  Christians  were  of  old — so  loving  toward 
each  other  that  it  is  said  in  some  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture that  there  was  no  necessity  to  write  them  a 
word  about  brotherly  love,  they  were  already  so  af- 
fectionate! 'Keep  it  up;  continue  in  it;  abound  in 
it,  more  and  more/  was  all.  And  where  love  is  at  all 
mentioned  in  exhortation,  it  is  not  by  way  of  com- 
plaint. Except  in  the  case  of  the  Apostle  Paul  him- 
self, who,  on  account  of  his  enemies,  was  not  loved 
up  to  his  desert.  But  speaking  of  the  Church,  the 
new  Nation,  as  a  whole,  she  lived  high  up  toward  the 
standard  of  perfection  in  fraternal  love.  I  think 
many  miss  the  fact  that  discipleship  is  a  double  de- 
votion— devotion  to  the  Lord,  and  devotion  to  the 
brethren.  'Devotion :  giving  oneself  wholly  to  a  per- 
son, course,  study  or  thing.'  Paul  says  of  the 
churches  in  Macedonia,  they  'first  gave  themselves  to 
the  Lord,  and  unto  us,  by  the  will  of  God/  To  the 
Lord  and  to  one  another  did  the  early  Church  give 
themselves.  They  were  not  only  attached  but  clave 
to  the  brotherhood !  'Cleave :  to  be  united  closely  in 
interest  and  affection/  says  a  dictionary.  Cleaving 
unto  the  Lord  with  full  purpose  of  heart,  they  also 
stuck  with  devotion  to  one  another,  as  servants  in 
common,  in  things  spiritual  and  material.  A  notable 
example  of  'cleaving'  one  to  another  is  narrated  in 
Nehemiah,  10th  chapter:  'Every  one  having  knowl- 
edge and  having  understanding,  clave  to  their 
brethren,  their  nobles,  and  entered  into  a  curse,  and 
into  an  oath,  to  walk  in  God's  law,  which  was  given 
by  Moses,  the  servant  of  God/  Devoted  one  to  an- 


The  Christian  Church  a  New  Nation  103 

other!  The  devotion  of  love,  as  a  mother  to  her 
babe,  or  a  man  to  his  friend,  is  not  a  far-off  idea,  but 
an  every-day  occurrence;  and,  blessed  children  of 
God!  how  they  did  cleave  one  to  another  and  make 
each  other's  tears  and  smiles  their  own !  Assistance 
was  gladly  rendered  for  each  other's  comfort;  while 
now  the  smallest  act  is  made  a  'pay  job';  a  little 
loan  for  relief  an  interest-bearing  obligation !  Talk- 
ing of  devotion,  hear  these  words:  'Ye  are  in  our 
heart,  to  live  and  die  with  you !'  'In  our  heart* :  is 
there  a  warmer  place  in  which  to  nestle  than  a  broth- 
er's heart,  excepting  only  the  Heart  of  hearts,  the 
love  of  the  Lord  Jesus  ?" 

"Dear  Dad,  such  love  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired 
except  its  ocean  fulness." 

"True,  John.  Now,  before  I  present  you  with  the 
testimonies  that  speak  the  happy,  harmonious  condi- 
tion of  these  lovers  of  old,  with  exception  of  isolated 
instances  to  the  contrary,  I  wish  to  show  you  how 
the  harmony  and  love  were  maintained.  The  govern- 
ment of  this  new  Nation  was  of  the  simplest ;  it  was 
a  family  affair,  a  sort  of  spiritual  paternalism.  Pres- 
byters, or  elders  ruled  it,  as  a  father  a  family.  The 
new  Nation  was  a  novelty  in  government.  The 
elder  ('superior,'  to  speak  in  the  language  of  monas- 
ticism)  did  not  demean  a  brother  by  some  unreason- 
able, arbitrary  command,  some  puerile  order,  to 
'break  his  will'  or  pride,  and  humble  him  by  the  in- 
dignity to  abjectness  of  manhood.  Subjection  in  this 
Nation  meant  no  such  thing.  It  simply  meant  the 
plain,  open,  known  laws  of  Christ  taught  by  an  elder 
honored  by  observance.  That  was  Christian  obedi- 
ence. It  was  obedience  to  the  elder,  inasmuch  as  he 
was  their  teacher :  'Obey  them  that  guide  you'  (in  our 
English  version,  'have  the  rule  over  you') .  The  rea- 
son is  given.  It  is  not  for  the  gratification  of  their 
own  feeling  of  overlordship,  or  their  personal  dig- 


104  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

nity's  sake;  it  was  for  the  sole  reason  that  'they 
watch  [as  shepherds]  for  your  souls  [the  protection 
of  your  lives,  against  the  prowling  foe] ,  as  they  who 
must  [are  held  to]  give  account*  (as  protectors  of 
the  Lord's  flock).  Their  rules  of  safety  must  be 
heeded;  but  they  had  no  authority  (it  is  an  outrage) 
to  make  a  brother  or  a  sister  in  Community  carry 
an  article  from  place  to  place  and  do  sundry  useless 
and  menial  things  of  purpose  to  bring  them  under, 
humiliate  and  make  them  subservient.  Nothing  was 
ordered  to  impress  upon  any  inferiority.  Indeed  the 
ruler  was  himself  under  order  not  to  be  'self -willed* : 
he  must  not  be  insistant  to  have  his  way;  he  must 
not  be  obstinate  for  his  own  plans.  'An  elder  must 
not  be  self-willed/  says  the  law  of  qualifications  for 
eldership." 

"Dear  Dad,  such  government  could  not  be  tyran- 
nical nor  irksome  to  the  governed." 

"John,  to  be  a  'master*  is  opposed  to  love  and  to  the 
genius  of  the  Gospel.  'Be  not  ye  many  masters/ 
says  the  Word.  The  reason  is  given,  because  there 
is  offense  in  mastery;  others  feel  aggrieved  and  are 
made  to  stumble  into  bitterness.  The  scripture  says, 
'for  in  many  things  [as  masters]  we  all  offend  [give 
offense] .*  Mastery  is  not  allowed  in  Christianity.  It 
was  not  an  element  of  the  new  Commonwealth.  But 
if  an  elder  should  forget  his  rule,  and  forget  'holy 
obedience,*  he  was  not  to  be  harshly  treated.  The 
rule  in  such  case  was,  'Rebuke  not  an  elder,  but  en- 
treat him,  as  a  father.*  Certainly,  no  new  doctrine 
or  dogma  might  be  imposed  by  an  elder,  or  body  of 
elders  (a  council)  upon  the  Brotherhood,  not  even 
under  the  name  of  a  'definition.*  Nothing  was  com- 
manded to  be  believed  or  done  but  what  Christ  and 
godliness  required — 'the  things  which  ye  have  heard 
from  the  beginning.*  Paul  says,  'Not  that  we  have 


The  Christian  Church  a  New  Nation  105 

dominion  over  your  faith  [to  force  upon  you  a  new 
dogma] ,  but  are  helpers  of  your  joy/  ' 

"How  satisfactory,  good  Dad,  was  such  an  ar- 
rangement and  how  curbing  of  any  tendency  to 
dominate." 

"Yes,  John ;  and  even  an  elder  must  at  times  bend 
and  submit  to  his  brethren.  As  it  was  written :  'Ye 
younger  submit  yourselves  to  the  elder;  yea,  all  of 
you  submit  yourselves  one  to  another.'  Dignity,  rank 
had  not  place  in  the  new  Nation  as  in  the  world, 
where  precedence  and  subservience  are  strictly  en- 
forced and  observed.  All  were  required  to  be  re- 
spectful to  each  other,  in  agreement  with  the  rule 
'Be  courteous/  but  no  big  ecclesiastic  strutted  up  and 
down  in  rich  garments  to  be  kow-towed  to  as  a  per- 
son of  great  distinction.  Boo!  such  a  dignity  exist 
in  that  day !  No  saint  kissed  another's  feet ;  except, 
perhaps,  when  one  had  washed  his  fellow's  feet 
who  had  happened  in  or  returned  from  a  journey, 
he  might  have,  impromptu,  of  brotherly  love,  kissed 
the  feet  he  washed ;  especially  if  they  were  the  feet  of 
an  evangelist;  whose  feet— -"beautiful  feet" — had 
carried  him  abroad  to  proclaim  the  holy  Evangel 
(good  message)  !  There  was  no  major  domo,  or 
master  of  ceremonies,  in  the  early  Church.  She  was 
not  then  of  the  earth  earthly.  She  had  not  even 
asked  as  a  Nation  to  become  like  the  nations  around 
her,  pompous  and  worldly." 

"Dear  Dad,  your  description  of  what  the  new 
nation  was  not  is  so  graphically  descriptive  of  what 
she  is  in  many  places  today." 

"My  son,  the  more  is  the  pity ;  and  it  is  to  her  loss 
and  shame.  Subjection  there  was  in  the  beginning, 
but  it  was  to  the  Gospel,  to  the  evangelical  command- 
ments; not  to  a  man,  or  a  number  of  men,  as  in 
pseudo-churches  of  Christ.  As  we  say  here  in  the 
States,  'government  by  law,  by  the  constitution ;  not 


106  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

by  men,  after  their  own  ideas.'  Of  course,  there 
were  things  of  order  to  be  agreed  to :  no  reasonable 
person  could  take  exception  to  that ;  all  sensible  men 
would  wish  it ;  but  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  harmony 
of  the  early  Church,  the  new  Nation,  was  love,  and 
the  obedience  and  accommodations  of  love.  As  to 
honor  or  esteem  it  was  not  lacking;  they  received  it 
who  deserved  it :  and  they  who  for  their  faithful,  un- 
tiring teaching  and  many  good  deeds  deserved  it 
most  got  it  in  greatest  quantity.  'Honor  them  that 
fear  the  Lord'  was  observed  toward  every  brother ; 
but  additional  honor  and  love  was  paid  to  the  best 
of  the  brotherhood,  or  citizenry.  One  who  became 
a  near-martyr,  Epaphroditus,  was  commended  by 
Paul  to  the  church  at  Philippi  in  these  words,  'Re- 
ceive him  in  the  Lord  with  all  gladness,  and  hold 
such  in  reputation  [literally,  honor  such],  because 
for  the  work  of  Christ  he  was  nigh  unto  death,  not 
regarding  his  life  to  supply  your  lack  of  service.' 
Honor,  estimation,  love  was  graded  for  services  ren- 
dered, and  not  for  ordination  or  appointment's  sake." 

"Dad,  what  a  model  Nation  that  must  be  whose 
rulers  receive  honor  on  their  merits  of  service.  I 
remember  hearing  of  a  judge  for  whom  reverence 
(high  respect)  was  claimed  merely  for  his  office's 
sake,  and  scripture  was  urged  in  support.  The 
party  addressed  admitted  respect  was  due  to  author- 
ity represented  by  the  judge,  but  replied,  'Let  the 
judge  himself  so  behave  that  the  people  can  respect 
him.' " 

"Speaking  of  honor,  John,  the  new  Nation  was 
not  a  lot  of  hoodlums,  all  were  estimable ;  but  it  had 
also  its  especially  honorable  men.  Let  me  tell  you  its 
laws  in  respect  to  honor.  I  will  recite  the  sentences. 
They  cover  their  King,  the  rulers,  the  citizens  and 
every  human  being.  First,  their  King,  Jesus.  The 
grand  gathering  of  the  Nation  hereafter  acclaim 


The  Christian  Church  a  New  "Nation  107 

Him  in  glowing  words  as  'worthy'  His  position  of 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  'Worthy  is  the 
Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power  and  riches  and 
wisdom  and  strength  and  honor  and  glory  and  bless- 
ing', they  say.  They  put  the  honor  of  universal  sov- 
ereignty upon  the  ground  of  worthiness;  they  pro- 
claim that  worthiness  to  be  His  great  love  in  the  gift 
of  His  life  for  their  redemption  and  upon  the  raptur- 
ous experience  of  their  own  salvation  and  glorifica- 
tion thereby.  The  honor  of  the  King  of  the  new 
Nation  stands  upon  His  glorious  merits.  Regarding 
the  elders,  the  law  is :  'Let  the  elders  that  rule  well 
be  counted  worthy  of  double  honor/  Why  dou- 
ble? Because  they  serve  well  as  rulers,  and  also  as 
evangelists  and  instructors  of  the  believers — 'they 
labor  in  word  and  in  doctrine.'  Double  duty  per- 
formed, double  honor  due.  And  Paul  agrees  with 
Peter,  saying,  'We  beseech  you,  brethren,  to  know 
them  which  labor  among  you,  and  are  over  you  in 
the  Lord,  and  admonish  you;  and  to  esteem  them 
very  highly  in  love  for  their  work's  sake.'  They 
were  to  be  more  dearly  beloved,  as  well  as  receive 
greater  honor.  Why  ? — 'for  their  work's  sake.'  " 

"Dad,  do  you  notice  it  is  not  double  salary  or 
double  support;  but,  along  with  a  living,  to  stand 
higher  in  esteem  and  to  be  more  beloved  by  the  Chris- 
tian Commonalty." 

"John,  even  among  the  plain  citizens  of  the  new 
Nation,  if  you  will  allow  me  so  to  call  them,  the  law 
was,  'Love  the  brotherhood;'  'Honor  to  every  man 
that  worketh  good.'  And  generally,  the  rule  read, 
'Let  each  esteem  other  better  than  himself.'  'In 
honor  preferring  one  another.'  0  blessed  unambi- 
tious life !  where  envy  slinks  away  abashed,  as  each 
believer  with  small  esteem  of  himself  and  great  re- 
spect for  his  brother  goes  to  the  lower  seat!  Now 
concerning  men  as  men,  the  National  law  was: 


108  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

'Honor  [esteem]  all  men/  Why  honor  all?  Because 
man  was  made  in  God's  image  and  likeness ;  because 
the  stamp  of  God  is  upon  him.  So  in  this  new  Na- 
tion, regard,  esteem,  honor  flourished  along  with 
love ;  which  made  it  the  grand  Nation  it  was.  I  have 
now  shown  you  some  things  of  the  new  Nation 
which  made  it  desirable  for  a  man  of  the  world  to 
flee  to,  tired  of  the  jars  and  wrongs  of  the 
nations  of  men.  But  where  in  the  world  can  be 
found  all  these  attractions  today?  The  Church  is  no 
longer  a  retreat,  with  welcome  and  mutual  burden- 
bearing.  It  is  not  a  home.  Family  conditions  are 
absent.  Let  us  make  it,  from  an  abode  of  sects  and 
a  fat  pasturage  for  preachers — from  an  institution 
of  human  ideas — into  a  fold  for  God's  sheep  to  lie 
down  in;  a  place  of  satisfaction;  an  abode  of  true, 
helpful  love.  O  that  it  were  as  it  was,  with  its  old 
principles  in  activity,  and  its  serviceableness  in  full 
swing !  Let  those  of  us  who  want  back  the  departed 
fraternity  seek  to  regain  our  own,  according  to  the 
will  of  God/  " 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Brotherliness  in  Business 


"I  LINGER,  John,  as  one  lingers  on  a  lovely  scene  or 
a  fond  memory,  on  the  new  Nation  that  had  its 
genesis  in  Jerusalem,  to  spread  out  from  thence  and 
become  the  Church  Universal.  I  have  called  her  a 
fine  and  splendid  People;  as  well  she  might  be  that 
had  such  mottoes  as  these  by  which  to  live :  'Let  all 
your  things  be  done  with  charity/  and  'Whatsoever 
things  are  true,  whatsoever  things  are  honest,  what- 
soever things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure, 
whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are 
of  good  report :  if  there  be  any  virtue,  or  if  there  be 
any  praise,  think  on  these  things/  These,  carried 
out,  would  make  any  institution  of  superlative  ex- 
cellence. Let  us  look  at  them  for  a  minute  or  two. 
Do  everything  from  love.  Let  every  deed  be  an  act 
of  love.  Exercise  your  mind  with  all  that  is  real, 
all  that  is  venerable,  all  that  is  fair,  all  that  is  clean, 
all  that  is  beautiful  to  contemplate,  all  that  is  of 
good  reputation,  all  that  is  virtuous,  all  that  is  praise- 
worthy. Contemplate,  meditate,  admire,  practice 
them." 

"Dear  Dad,  how  could  this  be  in  a  world  where  so 
many  things  corruptive  and  irritating  press  upon  us 
all?  where  the  vital  interest  of  getting  a  living  mili- 
tates against  such  lofty  conduct  and  thought?  They 
must  needs  forsake  the  world." 


110  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"John,  that  is  what  they  did;  they  forsook  the 
world  in  all  that  the  world  means  to  him  to  whom 
it  is  all.  They  left  it;  gave  it  up.  The  world  has 
nothing  that  I  want/  said  a  new  Nationalist  of  mod- 
ern times :  that  was  their  feeling  and  attitude.  They 
did  not  have  in  mind  earthly  things — money,  prefer- 
ment, indulgence,  power — as  objects  of  living.  The 
things  that  had  been  treasure  to  them  of  old  they 
scattered.  Their  minding  was  heavenly  things. 
They  concentrated  upon  them.  They  were  spiritual, 
as  opposed  to  material.  They  forsook  this  world  for 
the  world  to  come.  In  this  world  indeed  were  they, 
but  not  of  it.  But  that  does  not  mean  that  they  shut 
themselves  away  from  all  society.  That  does  not 
mean  that  they  swore  away  their  liberty  of  coming 
and  going.  Nor  does  it  mean  that  they  had  no  handi- 
craft or  secular  business.  No,  no.  They  went  in  and 
out  among  men  as  freely  as  we  do ;  mixed  with  them 
in  business  and  things  lawful  as  we ;  and  all  without 
fear  of  contagion  or  distraction.  This  was  accord- 
ing to  their  Founder's  mind,  who  prayed,  saying: 
'Father,  I  pray  not  that  Thou  shouldest  take  them 
[His  disciples]  out  of  the  world,  but  that  Thou 
shouldest  keep  them  from  the  evil.'  His  wish  was 
their  preservation  from  the  evil,  contaminating  in- 
fluence of  the  world's  conduct,  maxims  and  spirit. 
Always,  these  Theocrats  had  in  mind  and  in  pur- 
pose the  new  object  of  their  calling,  which  was  not 
to  be  conspicuous  and  peculiar  as  following  the  rule 
of  some  founder  other  than  their  great  Founder,  the 
Son  of  God.  You  would  not  have  known  them  by 
some  oddly  cut  garment  or  habit  of  grey,  black  or 
white ;  and  they  had  no  great  cross  depending  from  a 
chain  around  their  necks.  There  was  neither  rever- 
ends, right  reverends  nor  very  reverends,  man- 
tled or  petticoated  members,  in  their  number.  But 
they  had  the  look  of  sanctity,  because  the  clay  of 


Brotherliness  in  Business  111 

those  who  live  with  pure  and  generous  and  loving 
thoughts  gets  stamped  in  time  with  the  expression 
of  what  they  are." 

"You  talk  of  their  forsaking  the  world — was  it  an 
entire  abnegation?' 

"Yes,  John,  it  was.  Their  renunciation  was  even 
more  than  a  renunciation  of  the  world,  it  embraced 
themselves  likewise,  yea,  and  their  own  lives  also  for 
mere  life's  sake.  In  renouncing  the  world,  they 
broke  with  its  allurements  and  rewards ;  in  denying 
self,  with  its  pride,  adornment,  self-pleasing,  las- 
civiousness,  even  wisdom  and  righteousness;  and 
with  their  own  lives,  as  to  being  spared  to  them  at 
the  cost  of  disobedience  to  their  King  and  God.  All 
went  in,  in  the  transfer  of  their  allegiance." 

"But  what  about  manual  labor,  Dad;  did  they 
henceforth  do  nothing  of  a  secular  nature,  living  on 
public  charity,  dependents  upon  the  generosity  of  the 
benevolent?" 

"No,  John,  they  worked,  as  was  their  wont;  in- 
deed, it  was  required,  to  be  a  member  of  Community, 
that  a  man  work ;  with  the  alternative  that  if  he  did 
not  work  neither  should  he  eat.  Every  able-bodied 
man  had  to  be  a  producer,  a  mechanic,  or  a  trader ; 
except  he  were  a  laborer  in  spiritualities,  entirely  de- 
voted to  his  ministry  as  evangelist  or  teacher.  But  it 
was  as  different  beings,  so  to  speak,  they  farmed,  or 
wrought,  or  sold.  They  had  not  the  old  purpose; 
they  did  not  labor  in  the  same  spirit :  they  occupied 
themselves  in  businesses  that  were  good  for  the  satis- 
fying of  needs.  In  a  word,  each  one  worked  for  all, 
for  ALL!" 

"But,  Dad,  can  it  be  possible  that  they  did  not  work 
to  accumulate — to  'make  money/  as  we  say? — and 
rejoice  as  they  grew  richer,  as  men  making  a  'suc- 
cess' of  life  ?  and  call  it  'getting  on  in  the  world/  as 
they  rolled  up  a  fortune?" 


112  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"0  John,  you  are  thinking  of  the  heathen  of  to- 
day, church-members  as  well  as  non-professors;  I 
am  talking  of  the  'holy  Nation'  and  of  its  component 
units;  of  the  People  of  the  new  principles!  The 
golden  calf  was  not  their  God ;  they  were  not  as  the 
idolaters  of  our  time." 

"But,  Dad,  money,  good  shining  gold!  think  what 
a  dependence  it  is !  The  general  feeling  is  that  there 
is  nothing  like  money ;  that  he  who  has  it  need  worry 
for  nothing  else;  while  he  who  has  it  not  should 
slave  or  scheme  to  get  it." 

"Hence,  dear  John,  the  imperative  and  pressing 
need  of  conversion ;  for  of  all  perversion  the  love  of 
money,  and  living  to  make  money,  is  greatest. 
Money,  frightful  word!  Word  full  of  all  peril! 
More  to  be  feared  than  the  bubonic  plague !  It  was 
attractive  to  the  arch-traitor,  Judas  Iscariot,  as  it  is 
to  present-day  traitors ;  but  it  made  no  appeal  to  the 
holy  citizens  of  the  new  Nation.  They  were  utterly 
weaned  from  the  money-getting  craze.  The  moment 
any  new  Nationalist  got  this  microbe  into  his  system 
he  ceased  to  be  a  typical  citizen.  The  Book  of  faith 
and  conduct  of  the  new  Nation  says:  The  love  of 
money  is  a  root  of  all  evil/  Yes,  and  when  that  'root' 
has  grown  up  into  a  tree,  a  great  wide-spreading  tree 
with  many  branches,  it  is  a  upas-tree  of  death  to  the 
soul  which  is  its  soil  of  sustenance.  Believe  me, 
John,  if  the  necessity  of  watching  and  praying  is  ever 
of  importance  it  is  when  Satan  is  around  with  his 
bag,  saying,  Tay  me  homage  and  this  bag  is  thine/  ' 

"But  you  said,  Dad,  they  worked  at  their  different 
occupations — did  no  money  pass  to  them  for  their 
services?  Did  not  that  good  and  eminent  man  John 
Wesley  say  to  the  members  of  his  Society  'Make  all 
you  can ;  give  all  you  can  ?'  Is  not  that  good  advice  ?" 

"John,  I  will  answer  you  first  as  to  John  Wesley. 
Were  he  here  he  would  be  the  first  to  repudiate  (and 


Brotherliness  in  Business  113 

I  am  thinking  he  would  do  it  with  some  heat)  that 
anybody  should  interpret — misinterpret — him  to  in- 
culcate that  a  member  of  the  Wesley  an  Society  was 
counselled  by  him  to  make  all  he  could,  by  any 
method,  that  he  might  have  much  to  distribute  to 
others.  He  would  say :  'Make  all  you  can  honestly, 
as  real  earnings;  use  as  little  as  possible  for  yourself; 
and  give  the  surplus  to  the  needy/  His  life  was  a 
testimony  to  this  effect.  To  die  rich,  with  him,  was 
to  be  damned.  An  exploiter  of  others  to  a  fabulous 
amount,  who  offers  the  plea  in  self -justification  that 
he  is  making  his  millions  so  that  he  may  have  large 
money  to  give  away,  is  affirming  usually  what  is  not 
true,  as  he  himself  knows,  and  as  his  benefices  and 
the  large  hoard  he  reserves  for  himself  show.  He 
disobeys  God  in  so  doing,  as  well  as  steals  from  man ; 
and  we  are  not  allowed  to  do  evil  with  the  plea  that 
we  have  a  good  end  in  view." 

"Please,  let  me  stop  you,  dear  Dad ;  I  will  not  con- 
tend that  a  man  may  disobey  God  or  do  injustice  to 
man  to  have  money  to  spend  on  others." 

"Well,  John,  I  will  agree  with  Mr.  Wesley  as  I 
believe  he  would  have  me  understand  him,  namely: 
to  make  all  one  can  by  personal  labor,  directly  and 
purely  of  love,  to  give  to  the  needy.  For  example : 
If  in  the  new  Nation  a  brother  wished  to  redeem  a 
captive  who  had  become  a  Christian,  and  setting  his 
heart  upon  doing  it  he  worked  hard,  taxing  himself 
to  the  uttermost,  even  putting  in  long  days,  nobody 
would  condemn  but  praise  him,  and  give  thanks  to 
God  for  such  a  noble  example.  But  you  see  that 
supposes  personal  exertion  and  sacrifice  for  the  end 
in  view,  and  is  different  from  a  man  becoming  a 
plunderer  with  the  excuse  that  he  might  have  to  give. 
Regarding  the  taking  of  money,  or  its  equivalent,  by 
the  early  Christians — it  would  seem  at  first,  in  their 
Community  life,  before  they  settled  down  to  the 


114  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

basis  of  mutual  labor,  the  rich  gave  their  possessions, 
which  were  sold,  and  the  money  was  used  to  keep 
the  body  and  give  to  those  who  had  nothing.  They 
doubtless  thought  it  would  be  but  a  very  short  time 
to  our  Lord's  return;  hence  the  arrangement  was 
temporary.  It  is  presumable  that  what  was  neces- 
sary to  be  done  for  one  another  they  did  without 
compensation.  Those  who  were  isolated  and  in  serv- 
ice doubtless  received  their  'hire' — to  support  them- 
selves and  those  depending  upon  them.  Besides,  it 
might  have  been  different  as  between  those  of  their 
own  Company  and  the  outside  world.  But  there  is 
not  a  solitary  hint  in  the  new  Nation's  code  that  any- 
body might  launch  out  into  a  big  speculation,  use  his 
brethren  for  his  personal  gain,  and  then  compound 
the  matter  with  gifts,  public  or  private.  In  fact,  in 
principle  it  is  absolutely  wicked  and  indefensible. 
There  is  not  an  example  of  it  in  the  New  Testament." 

"But  were  there  not  rich  men  in  the  new  Nation  ?" 

"Yes,  but  they  must  have  been  rich  before  they 
became  saved ;  for  Scripture  rules  that  no  Christian 
may  wish  to  be  rich  and  work  for  that  end.  Regard- 
ing such  rich  men  as  I  have  referred  to,  the  com- 
mandment is,  'Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this 
world  that  they  be  rich  in  good  works' — disburse 
their  riches,  distribute  them,  to  relieve  the  necessi- 
ties of  fellow  saints." 

"Then,  Dad,  you  hold  that  a  Christian  should  not 
be  an  accumulator?" 

"John,  is  it  believable  that  our  Lord  would  have 
us  heap  up  money  or  goods — apart  from  the  extra 
cares  possessions  bring  upon  their  owners — when 
Paul,  in  the  spirit  of  Jesus,  says,  They  that  will  be 
rich  fall  into  temptation  and  a  snare,  and  into  many 
foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,  which  drown  men  in  de- 
struction and  perdition.  For  the  love  of  money  is  a 
root  of  all  evil ;  which  while  some  have  coveted  after, 


Brotherliness  in  Business  115 

they  have  erred  from  the  faith,  and  pierced  them- 
selves through  with  many  sorrows'  ?  And  Jesus  said 
directly,  as  he  saw  a  man  depart  in  sorrow  to  whom 
He  had  said  'Sell  all  that  thou  hast/  'How  hardly 
shall  they  that  have  riches  enter  into  the  Kingdom 
of  heaven.' " 

"But  still  you  say  you  believe  in  business:  what 
sort  of  business?" 

"Business,  John,  is  what  a  man  busies  himself 
with ;  what  he  employs  his  skill,  energy  and  time  in 
doing.  There  is  such  a  thing  as  doing  even  one's 
secular  work,  one's  worldly  business,  religiously, 
benevolently,  and  hence  to  the  profit  of  others  as 
well  as  oneself.  Then  there  is  the  common  corpora- 
tion-way of  doing  it,  on  an  immoral  basis,  and  with 
an  eye  only  to  self  gain.  Hear  how  it  was  done  in 
the  new  Nation.  The  pedlar  or  merchant  was  in- 
structed to  say  (and  of  course  act  upon  that  plan) 
not,  'Today  or  tomorrow  we  will  go  into  such  a  city, 
and  continue  there  a  year,  and  buy,  and  sell,  and 
get  gain ;'  but,  'If  the  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  live  and 
do  this  and  that.'  Men  generally  would  laugh  today 
at  the  suggestion  of  doing  business  subject  to  the  will 
of  the  Lord.  They  would  say  'The  law  is  too  archaic 
for  the  twentieth  century.'  The  Lord,  in  Big  Busi- 
ness! Such  Business  would,  Pharaoh-like,  answer, 
'We  know  not  the  Lord ;  neither  will  we  transact  bus- 
iness after  such  manner.  Christianity  in  business — 
we  could  not  be  hampered  by  it.'  But  the  new  Nation 
had  for  a  fast  law,  'Whatsoever  ye  do  in  word  or 
deed  [not  excluding  business] ,  do  all  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.'  A  Jesus-representative  in  business, 
making  sales  or  purchases  according  to  the  rules 
taught  by  the  heavenly  Master,  how  rare ;  preposter- 
ous the  proposal  to  such  as  would  buy  for  the  least 
and  sell  at  any  price  obtainable." 

"Did  this  state  of  things  last?" 


116  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"Yes,  for  a  long  time,  except  that  some  left ;  such 
as  had  not  really  died  to  worldly  desires.  Persons  of 
this  class  sneaked  into  Community.  They  were  num- 
bered for  awhile  with  the  faithful ;  their  names  were 
entered  upon  the  Nation's  register.  They  promised 
well ;  they  won  the  confidence  of  the  really  good.  But 
in  the  day  of  fiery  trial,  or  of  soft  worldly  seduc- 
tion, they  left  the  fold  for  Sodom  and  returned  no 
more.  Paul  writes :  'Demas  hath  forsaken  me,  hav- 
ing loved  this  present  world,  and  is  departed  to 
Thessalonica/  John  mourns  others,  saying,  'They 
went  out  from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us/  That 
was  the  explanation  of  their  leaving.  And  the  'be- 
loved disciple* — beloved  for  his  love ! — adds :  'If  they 
had  been  of  us,  they  would  no  doubt  have  continued 
with  us ;  but  they  went  out  that  they  might  be  made 
manifest  that  they  were  not  all  of  us/  They  were 
fewer  for  the  desertion  of  these  changelings;  but 
they  were  purer.  The  light  still  burned  brightly  in 
those  who  remained.  Alas,  things  have  so  changed 
since  then  we  can  hardly  trust  ourselves  to  tell  it 
without  tears." 

"I  see  that  they  have ;  but  still  I  should  like  to  lis- 
ten to  you  if  you  will  tell  me  in  what,  as  you  realize 
it." 

"John,  the  change  is  in  so  many  things.  In  the 
government,  in  the  membership,  in  the  pervading 
spirit,  in  the  ends  sought,  in  the  spectacle  it  is  to 
the  world.  Amid  all  these  are  those  who  grieve  and 
speak  for  something  better,  but  a  multitude  always 
drowns  the  voice  of  one  or  two,  and  those  who  want 
improvement  are  reproached  as  fault-finders.  It  is 
greatly  too  bad  that  those  who  beseech:  'Let  us 
return  unto  God  that  He  may  bless  us  as  of  yore, 
and  that  in  returning  we  may  find  rest  to  our  souls/ 
are  cold-shouldered  or  worse.  Now,  please,  I  speak 
first  of  the  government — those  who  rule,  who  decide 


Brotherliness  in  Business  117 

things,  the  minister  and  his  cabinet  (I  will  give  it 
this  name  in  general,  because  the  ruling  parties  in 
spiritualities  and  finances  are  in  different  organiza- 
tions called  by  different  names) .  The  Christian  Com- 
monalty, the  general  membership,  in  some  organiza- 
tions, have  a  voice  in  what  shall  be  and  be  done; 
but  as  a  rule  that  is  more  complimentary  and  sec- 
ondary than  real  and  deciding :  a  few  usually  hold  the 
reins  of  government.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  harsh  to- 
ward anybody,  but  we  must  face  facts  if  we  would 
remedy  shortcomings  and  redress  wrongs.  The 
membership  comes  next,  the  brethren.  They  are  the 
'many'  of  the  institution.  In  what  they  do  not 
measure  up  to  the  first  Christians  we  shall  see.  The 
pervading  spirit  is  the  dominant  spirit,  in  which  we 
shall  discover  that  it  is  not  the  spirit  of  holiness, 
brotherly  knitting  and  power  of  the  first  century 
A.  D.  Ends  sought  are,  objects  aimed  at  for  accom- 
plishment. Spectacle  to  the  world,  is  what  the 
Church  is  now,  in  character  and  example,  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world.  There  is  a  great  come  down ;  the 
Church's  influence  may  still  be  great  for  respectabil- 
ity, but  its  winsomeness  and  converting  (salty)  effect 
has  diminished." 

"Dad,  will  you  please  reverse  the  order  and  speak 
first  of  what  the  Church  is  to  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
and  the  impression  it  makes  upon  men." 

"I  will ;  and  to  do  so  must  revert  again  to  the  love 
of  the  early  times  and  the  absence  of  it  today — not 
entirely  in  individuals  but  very  little  in  the  general 
membership  for  one  another.  The  intimate  acquaint- 
ance of  believers  of  early  days,  and  their  readiness, 
with  joyfulness,  to  render  service  to  one  another, 
offering  their  lives  at  times  to  shield  others,  counting 
nothing  too  arduous  or  self-denying  to  relieve  and 
cheer  their  brethren,  was  most  touching.  This  was 
not  exceptional,  but  the  rule.  They  were  provoked 


118  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

by  each  other  to  this  love :  a  healthy  emulation  was 
created.  All  were  looked  after  at  that  period — over- 
sight was  a  reality ;  for  two  reasons.  First,  because 
there  was  an  individual  heart-interest  existing  be- 
tween the  brethren;  and  Second,  because  the  over- 
seers were  in  sufficient  number  to  meet  the  demand. 
It  may  be  said,  'You  are  not  an  Episcopalian ;'  I  re- 
ply, 'I  am  obliged  to  be  more  of  an  Episcopalian  than 
any  man  called  by  that  name ;  for  I  have  to  believe, 
since  I  am  told  it  in  Scripture,  that  elders  (plural) 
were  ordained  in  every  church,  and  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  had  made  these  elders  overseers  (bishops)  of 
the  flock.  Therefore,  as  there  were  several  bishops 
in  a  church  of  fair  size,  all  could  have  their  cases 
attended  to.  Now  the  love  between  those  who 
watched  over  the  flock  and  the  sheep  tended  was,  as 
I  have  said,  very  great.  This  in  addition  to  the  love 
every  member  bore  for  his  brother.  The  world 
looked  on  and  commented  in  words  like  this:  'See 
how  these  Christians  love  one  another/  And  they  did 
love.  Just  a  few  scriptures." 

"Dear  Dad,  as  I  understoood  you,  though  the  early 
Christians  were  an  example  of  purity,  pure  associa- 
tion, godliness  you  may  say,  fairness  in  dealing, 
truth-speaking,  and  so  forth,  to  you,  their  first  char- 
acteristic was  that  of  mutual  love,  in  full  exercise, 
productive  of  every  kindly  attention." 

"Precisely  so.  And  I  cite  a  few  scriptures  in  sub- 
stantiation. They  speak  of  the  prevalence  of  love  in 
the  body  of  Christ  at  the  beginning.  Hear  how  Paul 
writes  to  the  several  churches  he  established  and  to 
individual  members  thereof.  To  the  Christians  in 
Thessalonica  he  wrote : 

"  'We  are  bound  to  thank  God  always  for  you 
brethren,  as  is  meet,  because  your  faith  grow- 
eth  exceedingly  and  the  charity  (love)  of  every 


Brotherliness  in  Business  119 

one  of  you  all  toward  each  other  aboundeth'  (2 
Thess.  1:3). 

"And  again,  to  the  same  persons, 

"  Timotheus  came  from  you  unto  us,  and 
brought  us  good  tidings  of  your  faith  and  char- 
ity (love),  and  that  ye  have  good  remembrance 
of  us,  always  desiring  greatly  to  see  us  (as  we 
also  to  see  you)/  (1  Thess.  3:6.) 

"And  yet  again,  still  to  the  same  church  of  Thessa- 
lonica : 

"  'As  touching  brotherly  love,  ye  need  not  that 
I  write  unto  you;  for  ye  yourselves  are  taught 
of  God  to  love  one  another.  And  indeed  ye  do  it 
toward  all  the  brethren  which  are  in  all  Mace- 
donia; but  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  that  ye 
increase  more  and  more/  (1  Thess.  4:8,10.)' 

"Dad,  the  Thessalonian  Christians  must  have  been 
a  very  loving  Brotherhood.  The  late  beloved  H.  L. 
Hastings  of  Boston,  Mass.,  wrote  an  excellent  book 
describing  their  gifts  and  graces,  under  the  title  of 
'Thessalonica;  or,  The  Model  Church.'  It  is  a  very 
profitable  work  and  one  that  I  wish  all  believers 
had  in  their  library." 

"John,  I  know  the  book ;  it  is  one  of  the  good  books 
of  the  world.  But  now,  the  Christians  at  Thessa- 
lonica were  not  the  only  ones  in  whom  brotherly  love 
abounded;  although  I  grant  they  were  an  eminent 
example  of  it.  To  the  saints  at  Colosse  Paul  wrote 
in  a  similar  strain,  saying: 

'We  give  thanks  to  God  and  the  Father  of  our 
Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  praying  always  for  you, 
since  we  heard  of  your  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  and 
of  the  love  which  ye  have  to  all  the  saints."  (Col. 
1:3,4.) 


120  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"He  came  to  know  of  it  especially  through  Epa- 
phras,  of  whom  he  writes : 

"  'Epaphras,  our  dear  fellow-servant  .  . 
declared  unto  us  your  love  in  the  Spirit.'  (Col. 
1:8). 

"And  it  was  the  same  with  the  Christians  at 
Ephesus. 

"  'I  also/  says  Paul,  'after  I  heard  of  your 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  love  unto  all  the 
saints,  cease  not  to  give  thanks  for  you,  making 
mention  of  you  in  my  prayers ;  that  the  God  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of  glory, 
may  give  unto  you  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and 
revelation  in  the  knowledge  of  Him,  (i.  e. 
Christ).  (Eph.  1:15, 17). 

"Nor  were  the  Christians  at  Philippi  behind  in 
love.  Paul  says  they  were  to  him  cause  of  thank- 
fulness to  God : 

"  'I  thank  my  God  upon  every  remembrance  of 
you,  always,  in  every  prayer  of  mine  for  you  all, 
making  request  with  joy.  .  .  And  this  I 
pray,  that  your  love  may  abound  yet  more  and 
more,  in  knowledge  and  in  all  judgment/  (Phil. 
1:3-9.) 

"Continued  and  increasing  love  was  all  that  was 
necessary  to  be  asked  for  the  early  Christians;  ex- 
hortations to  'let  brotherly  love  continue'  and 
'abound/  How  beautiful  their  condition !" 

"Indeed,  Dad,  it  was  beautiful.  To  come  into  the 
Church  out  of  the  world  was  like  coming  into  a  warm 
and  brightly  lighted  room  out  of  the  streets  of  a 
cheerless  and  wintry  night." 

"But,  John,  the  same  that  was  true  of  churches 
was  also  true  of  individuals  in  that  happy,  simple 
time  of  Gospel  light.  Peter  declares  generally  and 


Brotherliness  in  Business  121 

individually  in  his  letter  to  the  scattered  stranger- 
Christians,  that  they  obeyed  the  truth  (believed  the 
Gospel  as  commanded)  and  purified  their  souls  even 
to  love  of  the  brethren.  They  believed  and  loved. 
They  ended  not  with  the  acceptance  of  Christ,  but 
followed  on  in  obedience  to  His  commandment  to 
love  the  Brotherhood.  Some  of  the  instances  of 
mention  and  commendation  of  the  love  of  individual 
Christians  are  very  touching.  That,  for  example,  of 
the  Apostle  John,  to  Gaius : 

"  'Beloved  .  .  I  rejoiced  greatly  when  the 
brethren  came  and  testified  of  the  truth  that  is 
in  thee,  even  as  thou  walkest  in  the  truth.  .  . 
Beloved,  thou  doest  faithfully  whatsoever  thou 
doest  to  the  brethren,  and  to  strangers;  which 
have  borne  witness  of  thy  charity  (love)  before 
the  Church;  wrhom  if  thou  bring  forward  on 
their  journey  after  a  godly  sort,  thou  shalt  do 
well."  (3  John,  3-6). 

"Paul's  love  for  his  converts  and  their  love  for  him 
is  several  times  alluded  to  in  the  New  Testament. 
This  conspicuous  love,  not  for  display  but  on  the 
other  hand  not  concealed,  shed  a  soft  light  in  the 
world  that  touched  hearts  that  hungered  for  but 
could  find  it  nowhere  else  than  in  the  new  Nation,  the 
Church  of  the  living  God." 

"Dear  Dad,  some  may  carp  at  calling  the  Church 
a  Nation,  because  of  their  carnal  idea  of  a  nation, — 
such  organizations  of  the  different  tribes  and  tongues 
as  we  behold — but  she  was  really  a  Nation,  really  a 
People ;  and  her  brightest,  holiest  grace  was  that  love 
which  was  begotten  in  her  by  the  Spirit.  Love  is  of 
God:  she  herself  was  of  God,  and  so  was  the  love 
that  made  her  persona  grata  with  men.  For  I  re- 
member it  is  written,  that  not  only  did  they  grow  in 


122  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

favor  with  God,  but  likewise  in  the  love  of  men. 
And  how  could  it  be  otherwise  with  those  who  loved 
so  truly  and  heartily !" 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Protesting  and  Isolating  the  Grasper 


"THE  war  is  on — the  war  between  Heaven  and 
earth,  between  righteousness  and  unrighteousness, 
between  love  and  greed.  John,  it  is  a  terrific  conflict. 
But  it  can  spread  no  farther,  since  it  already  reaches 
from  extreme  east  to  extreme  west  and  from  ex- 
treme north  to  extreme  south,  the  world  over.  Je- 
hovah hath  a  controversy  with  the  nations.  On  what 
grounds  ?  Because  'there  is  no  truth,  nor  mercy,  nor 
knowledge  of  God  in  the  land.  By  swearing  and 
lying  and  killing  and  stealing  and  committing  adul- 
tery they  break  out  and  blood  toucheth  blood/  But 
let  us  understand  what  we  are  talking  about  when 
we  speak  of  righteousness  warring  with  unrighteous- 
ness. We  can  only  mean  the  righteous;  for  right- 
eousness is  not  itself  an  entity.  It  has  no  existence 
except  as  embodied.  For  example :  Scripture  speaks 
of  looking  for  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth 
'wherein  dwelleth  righteousness/  We  understand 
this  to  mean  righteous  persons,  persons  who  live 
righteously.  As  it  is  said  in  another  scripture :  The 
righteous  shall  inherit  the  land  and  shall  dwell 
therein  forever.'  As  love  can  only  exist  in  a  lover, 
so  righteousness  has  no  being  without  personality  of 
righteous  principles.  Laws  of  righteousness,  a  code 
of  justice,  is  one  thing;  a  righteous  being  another. 
So  in  talking  about  war  between  righteousness  and 


124  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

unrighteousness,  I  mean,  war  between  good  and  holy 
beings  and  those  in  whom  is  incarnated  and  who 
work  injustice,  moral  evil.  The  way  is  now  cleared 
for  progress  upon  the  great  and  dreadful  reality 
of  the  moral  conflict  in  the  world.  It  is  more  than 
an  interesting  theme ;  it  is  a  very  solemn  one,  entail- 
ing inescapable  responsibility." 

"Dad,  our  Lord  says  He  came  to  create  antagon- 
isms. A  wicked  man  once  cursed  the  Lord  Jesus 
charging  against  Him  the  bloodshed  that  has  deluged 
the  world  because  of  Christianity." 

"He  was  quite  wrong ;  a  man  could  not  err  worse. 
The  war  Jesus  inaugurated  was  not  a  war  of  hatred. 
How  could  it  be,  seeing  He  commanded  love  ?  It  was 
not  a  war  of  covetousness  and  spoilation;  since  He 
said,  'Give/  'let  them  take' — which  is  very  different 
from,  'Seize ;  take  from  others/  No ;  the  war  He  set 
afoot  was  a  war  for  the  rights  of  God  and  man,  and 
of  course  for  His  own  rights  as  the  Son  of  God.  Was 
He  not  the  'Just  One' — 'Jesus  Christ  the  righteous  ?' 
How  could  he  begin  a  hostility  of  evil?  Was  not  His 
work  to  establish  righteousness  in  the  earth?  Dis- 
miss then  the  libelous,  the  blasphemous  thought  of 
His  responsibility  for  the  bloody  wars  fought  in  His 
name  for  carnal  ascendancy  and  pelf.  Yet  He 
brought  on  a  mighty  war.  It  had  been  in  progress 
before  as  a  clashing  between  principles ;  but  now  is 
added  Himself  as  the  Lord  of  righteousness  and 
Ruler  of  men,  whose  laws  are  paramount  and  must 
be  respected.  0  such  laws!  who  that  knows  them 
and  their  beneficence  does  not  rejoice  over  them !" 

"Dad,  to  be  under  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Lord  is  not 
oppression  but  freedom,  blessing.  His  laws  all  con- 
duce to  our  well-being.  Obeyed,  they  yield  us  peace 
for  time  and  unspeakable  joy  for  eternity." 

"Well,  John,  Jesus  Christ  is  the  enemy  of  all  un- 
righteousness;  from  its  incipiency,  when  a  man  sits 


Protesting  and  Isolating  the  Grasper  125 

down  at  a  table  or  desk  and  uses  his  brains  to  think 
how  he  can  become  rich,  to  its  materialization,  when 
he  has  accumulated  an  immense  fortune,  stealings  of 
his  crooked  career.  For  it  goes  without  dispute,  a 
several-times-millionaire  can  only  be  such  by  deeds 
that  are  dark  with  sin.  It  is  not  possible  to  own  so 
much  money  by  a  good  life.  When  I  meet  such  men  I 
confront  them  as  enemies  of  God  and  man.  I  feel  no 
respect  for  them ;  I  give  them  no  honor.  To  me,  they 
are  vultures.  So  also  are  they  who  oppress  others 
with  heavy  burdens.  They  are  creatures  of  mis- 
chief; they  tear  and  fling  down  their  prey,  with  not 
merely  unsympathethic,  but  remorseless  hearts. 
How  much  a  bad  man  can  become  like  a  fiend !  How 
almost  infinite  sometimes  in  his  possibilities  for 
evil." 

"Dad,  there  was  an  old  man,  honest  and  kind,  with 
years  of  toil  behind  him,  who  was  ahead  of  demands, 
who  thought  with  carefulness  he  might  be  able  to 
spend  his  few  remaining  years  in  free  service  of 
others  in  the  gospel,  without  being  chargeable  to  any 
and  even  without  the  necessity  of  accepting  freely 
offered  gifts.  He  was  unsophisticated  in  the  ways 
of  those  who  connive  together  to  form  companies  and 
profit  from  others'  losses.  He  was  induced  to  buy 
stock  in  several  corporations.  The  stock  soon  be- 
came worthless,  or  nearly  so.  It  returned  no  divi- 
dends, but  entailed  payment  of  assessments.  He  was 
so  reduced  that  he  could  not  meet  his  current  obli- 
gations. Getting  behind  in  interest  his  creditors  set 
upon  him.  It  would  have  touched  your  heart  with 
pity  to  see  these  dogs — 'curs'  is  a  more  befitting  name 
—come  up  growling  and  yelping,  jump  at  their  vic- 
tim and  take  their  mouthful  of  flesh.  First  one  bit 
him  and  carried  off  his  chunk;  then  another;  and 
another !  He  bled ;  he  suffered — 0,  what  he  suffered ! 


126  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

But  nobody  cared ;  nobody,  nobody !  Neither  banker, 
nor  city  official,  nor  minister  of  religion !" 

"That  is  what  I  am  coming  to — the  war  of  right- 
eousness is  the  war  of  the  righteous.  Their  captain 
is  the  King  of  kings.  If  we  are  righteous  we  are 
summoned  to  the  colors.  We  are  sent  on  to  the  firing 
line.  We  immediately  attack.  The  enemy  is  willing 
to  let  us  alone  provided  we  do  not  molest  him.  He 
wants  us  to  engage  in  just  such  warfare — wait  until 
he  attacks  us.  But  our  King's  orders  are  to  be 
aggressive,  to  act  upon  the  offensive.  Injustice  is 
rebellion ;  it  belongs  to  eternal  righteousness  to  take 
the  positive  side  in  the  war ;  to  'up-and-at'  the  strong- 
holds of  wickedness.  And  for  myself,  I  feel  like 
fighting  against  sin.  Out  of  my  weakness  I  am  made 
strong  by  detestation  of  wrong,  to  fight  it  without 
truce  or  pity!  A  subordinate  officer  in  the  Lord's 
army,  I  am  determined  that  the  men  of  the  line  shall 
see  me  resolute  and  unwavering  in  this  Holy  War." 

'Dear  Dad,  as  a  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ  I  will  fight 
at  your  side.  You  can  depend  upon  me!  The  foe 
is  a  mean  one.  Wicked  men  are  crafty.  They  lay 
traps  to  catch  the  unwary.  They  must  be  watched 
with  eternal  vigilance.  O  if  their  wicked  hearts  with 
their  evil  designs  could  be  seen  by  us  as  God  sees 
them!  Appearing  to  be  friends,  they  lay  a  snare 
for  our  feet.  But  watching  and  praying  we  are 
safe.  As  says  the  proverb :  'Surely,  in  vain  the  net 
is  spread  in  the  sight  of  any  bird." 

"With  me,  John,  it  is  a  case  of  'once  bitten,  twice 
shy/  Fut  O,  it  is  more  than  shyness;  it  has  intro- 
duced me  to  a  knowledge  and  led  to  an  understand- 
ing that  I  had  not  sensed  in  more  than  threescore 
years — I  had  not  dreamed  of  such  crass  unrighteous- 
ness. Before  I  knew  unrighteousness  as  applied  to 
material  conditions,  the  state  of  man  upon  earth, 
it  seemed  but  a  commonplace  term ;  now  it  is  appall- 


Protesting  and  Isolating  the  Grasper  127 

ing,  shuddering  in  import.  We  live  in  a  damnably 
bad  world !  The  big  worthless  fish  swim  around  and 
eat  up  the  small  and  good  ones.  Wicked  men  are  un- 
scupulous;  conscience  does  not  trouble  them;  they 
have  no  compunction  of  mind.  We  are  not  learned  in 
tricks  as  they.  We  are  in  one  sense  at  a  disadvan- 
tage. And  yet  who,  for  all  the  wealth  of  a  subtle 
corporation-manager,  would  be  perverted  in  the 
fabric  of  his  soul,  in  his  thoughts,  affections,  emo- 
tions as  he,  although  the  profit  in  golden  'moons'  be 
many?  'I  would  have  you/  says  Paul,  'wise  unto 
that  which  is  good,  and  simple  concerning  evil/  Bet- 
ter to  know  less  than  so  much  that  is  bad." 

"Yes,  Dad,  knowledge  how  to  acquire  (steal)  the 
treasures  of  the  earth  for  oneself;  how  to  gamble 
and  cheat  in  business;  how  by  big  capitalization  of 
one's  holdings,  share  dividends  and  stock  manipula- 
tions to  increase  wealth ;  how  by  mergers  with  com- 
petitors to  get  them  out  of  the  way  and  rule  the 
market ;  how  to  obtain  control  of  a  company's  affairs 
while  owning  but  a  minority  of  the  stock;  how  to 
keep  office  as  president  at  an  exorbitant  salary ;  how 
to  boost  prices  for  the  output  as  any  conscienceless 
extortioner;  how  to  have  an  'arrangement'  with 
other  companies  that  is  a  conspiracy  against  the 
world ;  how  to  make  things  'safe'  by  a  secret  corpo- 
ration fund  for  services  of  a  nature  that  cannot  be 
disclosed;  how  to  do  wrong  things  and  keep  inside 
the  laws  made  for  the  protection  of  the  public — this 
knowledge,  and  knowledge  like  it,  I  do  not  want, 
and  would  not  have  in  my  brain,  defiling  my  heart 
and  conscience,  and  making  me  a  bad  man.  I  will 
fight  such  gross,  greedy,  cursed  business  as  part  of 
my  Christian  duty,  and  will  wage  war  in  the  name  of 
God  with  the  perpetrators  of  these  multiplied 
crimes." 

"John,  your  decision  is  that  of  a  man  of  God;  you 


128  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

could  make  no  other  and  be  a  righteous  man.  David 
said  of  old :  'I  was  envious  at  the  foolish  when  I  saw 
the  prosperity  of  the  wicked/  It  is  at  times  very 
straitening  to  be  poor,  as  I  have  found ;  but  could  you 
or  I  envy  a  man  who  became  rich  by  such  means? 
A  proverb  says :  'Envy  thou  not  the  oppressor,  and 
choose  none  of  his  ways/  It  will  apply  to  any  unright- 
eous man  and  the  astray  ways  of  his  life:  'choose 
none  of  his  ways/  The  world  applauds  such  a  man  as 
'smart/  'able/  'capable/  and  the  like ;  and  some  of  the 
men  themselves  hug  the  delusion  to  their  heart  that 
they  are  righteous,  and  that  their  tremendous  gain 
is  'God's  blessing'  upon  their  business!  I  could 
not  think  so  and  believe  in  God  as  the  God  of  right- 
eousness. There  is  another  to  whom  has  been  de- 
livered up  this  present  world,  who  is  its  disposer  as 
well  as  ruler,  who  says  if  a  man  will  pay  him  hom- 
age and  devote  himself  to  him — I  should  say  such 
things  as  you  mentioned  is  service  of  this  being — he 
will  give  them  the  things  of  this  life.  And  doubtless 
if  one  will  be  faithful  to  Satan  and  diligent  in  his  ser- 
vice he  will  not  go  unrewarded.  But  the  reward  of 
unrighteousness  turns  at  last  to  fiery  scorpions !" 

"Dad,  may  God  protect  us  in  these  evil  times  when 
'gain*  seduces  so  many  from  the  right.  0  what  will 
not  men  do  for  money !  They  will  swear  by  God  or 
the  devil — they  have  no  choice :  'does  it  pay?'  is  their 
one  question.  But  we  can  only  use  and  enjoy  while 
we  live  and  life  is  uncertain  and  short  at  the  longest ; 
and  a  proverb  asks :  'What  is  the  hope  of  the  hypo- 
crite, though  he  hath  gained,  when  God  taketh  away 
his  soul'  (life)  ?" 

"You  remark  well,  John;  what  we  gain  is  ours 
to  have  and  to  hold,  to  see  and  to  enjoy  only  while 
the  breath  is  in  our  nostrils.  When  we  die  we 
have  to  let  go  everything  and  another  comes  in  our 
place  as  inheritor.  Death  is  a  great  dispossessor. 


Protesting  and  Isolating  the  Grasper  129 

How  pertinent  then  is  Jesus'  question,  'What  shall 
it  profit  a  man  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world  and 
lose  his  own  soul  (life)  ?'  He  could  not  gain  more; 
and  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  richest  is  possessor  of  but 
an  insignificant  fraction  of  the  world.  If  he  lose  his 
life,  then  all  the  gains  of  his  labor — or  cunning — 
are  lost ;  lost  in  a  second,  the  moment  of  his  expiry. 
It  is  like  a  pearl-fisher  who  fills  his  basket ;  but  he 
has  been  down  so  long  and  the  pressure  has  been  so 
great  that  he  bursts  a  blood  vessel  and  dies  as  he 
emerges  from  the  water.  What  profit  though  every 
oyster  shell  contains  a  pearl?  Who  that  thinks 
would  gain  by  wickedness,  by  exploitation?  The 
wise  wicked  man,  wise  to  make  money,  to  make  it 
dishonestly,  is  a  fool  after  all!  He  is  not  so  smart 
as  reputed  to  be.  But  it  is  of  the  war  I  think.  What 
action  should  we  take  toward  such  sinners  against 
their  fellows,  against  society,  of  which  they  form  a 
part?" 

"Dear  Dad,  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  talk  of  taking 
action.  Action  is  the  word ;  only  action  counts.  Pol- 
troons there  are  too  cowardly  to  stand  up  against 
bad  men  and  their  deeds ;  supinists  also  who  lie  down 
in  abjection  to  every  criminal  and  raise  no  hand  and 
open  not  their  mouths  against  the  monster;  and  a 
laissez  faire  lot  who  say  'let  alone/  leaving  a  scamp 
to  carry  out  his  rascality  at  his  pleasure  and  to  his 
wicked  heart's  content ;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  every 
good  man  should  do  something ;  if  only  to  show,  even 
though  he  cannot  win  to  frustrate  the  bad  design 
and  deed,  that  he  himself  is  not  depraved  like  the 
rest ;  that  he  is  not  of  the  kidney  of  wickedness." 

"John,  you  talk  like  a  soldier  of  the  holy  war.  A 
soldier  becomes  not  such  to  sleep  while  mischief  is 
being  done.  He  is  enlisted,  appointed,  trained  for 
fighting.  So  also  is  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. 
He  must  do  something — or  be  courtmartialed.  And 


130  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

this  is  no  theological  notion.  It  is  not  the  same  as 
playing  soldier,  as  in  ecclesiasticism — processioning 
through  church  aisles  with  a  cross  at  the  head  and 
singing — 

'Onward,  Christian  soldiers, 

Marching  as  to  war; 
With  the  Cross  of  Jesus 

Going  on  before/ 

The  cross  that  is  borne  is  not  the  cross  of  Jesus. 
It  is  nothing  but  a  sentimental,  theatrical  perform- 
ance. There  is  no  'war'  about  it ;  it  is  a  deception  of 
the  wicked  one  to  satisfy  ideality.  The  reality  of  the 
holy  war  is  very  different.  It  is  fighting  against 
sin,  even  unto  death.  All  have  not  yet  paid  this 
price.  'Ye  have  not  yet  resisted  unto  blood,  striving 
against  sin';  but  it  is  a  strife  in  which  life  is  im- 
perilled, and  many  who  have  not  died  have  lost  about 
all  save  life  in  this  most  real  of  contests." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  have  just  thought  of  one  good  man 
who  did  something,  all  that  he  could,  in  a  council 
of  murderers — he  withheld  his  consent,  he  protested 
their  action.  The  resolution  would  have  been  unani- 
mous, but  because  of  his  being  a  righteous  man  there 
was  a  minority  vote.  The  minority  was  only  one. 
The  chairman  could  not  report  unanimity — that  one 
vote  registered  a  contrary  mind,  a  solemn  protest 
before  God  and  men  and  angels.  It  was  heroic.  I  am 
not  referring  to  Luther  at  the  diet  of  Worms;  al- 
though he  stands  forever  honorable  with  the  right- 
eous. I  allude  now  to  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  When 
the  Sanhedrim  met  to  condemn  our  Lord  Jesus  to 
death,  Joseph  would  not  agree  that  He  had  broken 
any  law  or  done  anything  worthy  of  death.  He  would 
not  cast  the  lot  for  His  execution.  Doubtless  he  ar- 
gued His  innocency  and  warned  the  Council  to  be 
careful  what  they  did.  Perhaps  some  may  have 
'labored  with  him'  to  see  differently  and  be  in  agree- 


Protesting  and  Isolating  the  Grasper  131 

ment.  If  they  did  they  did  not  succeed.  They  found 
him  obstinate — because  of  his  convictions.  You  see, 
he  was  a  'righteous'  man — that  was  the  bottom  of 
it.  'There  was  a  man  named  Joseph,  a  counsellor,  a 
good  man  and  a  just.  The  same  had  not  consented 
to  the  counsel  and  deed  of  them*  who  tried  and  con- 
demned our  Saviour.  If  he  could  not  save  His  life, 
he  wanted  His  dear,  dead  body,  to  intern  it  in  a 
worthy  manner  in  a  newly-hewn  tomb  that  he  had 
designed  for  his  own  sepulture.  Blessings  upon  the 
righteous  man  who  disagrees  publicly  with  sinners 
and  will  not  consent  or  be  in  quietude  as  they  per- 
form their  wicked  acts." 

"John,  my  conviction  is  of  the  deepest  that  all 
righteous  men  should  protest  the  present  wicked 
industrial  system  and  corporations  of  our  times,  by 
which  men  who  would  are  unable  to  earn  their  bread , 
and  those  who  are  employed  are  as  sheep  fleeced  of 
their  wool.  A  man  earns  but  receives  not  his  earn- 
ings ;  just  as  a  sheep  grows  the  wool  that  a  shearer 
takes  from  his  back.  The  shearers  of  the  industrials 
pile  up  many  bales  for  themselves ;  every  bundle  of 
them  should  be  branded  'stolen.'  Only  a  just  part- 
nership is  righteousness  in  economics.  A  man  came 
to  me  one  time  and  volunteered  his  counsel;  but  I 
could  not  accept  it.  I  could  not  say,  as  David  to 
Abigail,  'Blessed  be  thy  advice/  It  was  not  accord- 
ing to  God.  I  remembered,  too,  the  scripture, 
'Blessed  is  the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel 
of  the  ungodly.'  I  had  another  counsellor,  God's 
Word.  I  owned  a  large  property  on  which  there 
was  a  small  second  incumbrance.  Unfortunately 
I  was  caught  in  that  devil's  trap  a  Trust  Deed, 
drawn  to  grab  the  pledge  in  sixty  days.  I  paid  reg- 
ularly upon  the  obligation,  but  not  in  amount  equal 
to  the  imposed  demand.  The  property  in  these  hard 
times,  through  only  partial  letting,  did  not  return 


132  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

enough  in  rent  to  pay  the  liability.  The  creditor 
was  very  largely  secured  and  could  have  had  the 
realty  transferred  upon  agreeing  to  allow  my  equity 
after  receiving  his  claim.  But  he  would  not.  The 
ultimatum — payment  of  the  arrears  or  foreclosure 
— was  duly  delivered.  Payment  could  not  be  com- 
plied with,  and  I  became  dispossessed  of  thousands 
of  dollars  of  value,  the  income  from  which  was  my 
living,  and  the  living  of  a  relative  whose  money  was 
invested  in  the  place.  My  would-be  counsellor  said, 
'Let  it  go;  forget  it;  say  nothing  about  it  to  the 
cincher.'  'No/  I  replied,  'he  has  gained  the  drop  on 
me;  he  has  got  my  property  by  law;  he  shall  not 
possess  it  with  my  consent.  I  will  not  concede  that  it 
is  his  in  justice.  I  will  protest.'  And  so  I  protested. 
The  robber  will  remember  that  he  is  held  to  be  a  rob- 
ber in  his  misdeed;  a  very  unmerciful,  a  most  cruel 
man  in  plucking  away  the  stilts  of  a  cripple  and 
causing  his  fall  to  his  ruin.  I  say,  submit  not  dumbly 
to  bad  men  and  their  wrongs ;  protest  them ;  protest 
their  deeds!  Appeal  the  case  to  the  judgment  of 
God!  Make  the  rascals  feel  that  they  are  classed 
with  the  wicked,  to  which  class  they  really  belong.  An 
inhuman  man,  an  unmerciful  man,  a  hard  exacter 
should  always  be  protested,  denounced  and  exposed." 

"Dad,  I  agree  wTith  you.  It  is  not  a  question  of 
what  good  it  will  do  to  reverse  the  injury;  it  is 
the  question  of  a  poor  righteous  man's  attitude  to- 
ward unrighteousness.  In  my  judgment,  he  must 
solemnly  affirm  to  the  culprit  and  to  society  that  the 
evictor  or  dispossessor  is  an  abuser  of  his  brother. 
Such  a  jolt  may  cause  the  sinner  to  think  and  change 
his  course.  Not  to  do  it,  is  to  let  him  go  on  with 
the  thought  that  he  is  but  following  common  usage, 
accepted  custom,  established  rule,  which  justifies  him 
and  lets  him  feel  he  has  done  no  wrong." 

"John,  non-consent,  protestation,  may  be  the  only 


Protesting  and  Isolating  the  Grasper  133 

weapon  left  a  sufferer  to  use.  It  is  not  always  an 
inefficient  act.  In  some  instances  it  disannuls  action 
— as  in  the  case  under  the  Mosaic  Law  where  a  child 
or  a  wife  made  a  vow.  In  the  case  of  the  child  (called 
in  modern  law  a  'minor'),  who  made  a  vow,  the 
father  as  her  responsible  head  and  guardian  had  the 
right  to  reverse  or  make  a  dead  letter  of  her  bond. 
So  also  the  husband  of  a  woman  as  to  his  wife,  there 
rested  in  him  power  to  declare  of  no  force  any  oath 
she  might  take.  But  the  f  afher  must  disallow  her  obli- 
gation directly  he  hear  his  daughter  assume  liability 
or  bind  herself;  so  likewise  must  the  husband  his 
wife.  Failing  that,  holding  his  peace,  saying  nothing 
to  the  contrary,  the  oath  of  daughter  or  of  wife 
obliged  to  performance.  A  later  disapproval  and  in- 
validation could  not  change  matters.  Silence  gave 
consent.  'If  her  husband  altogether  hold  his  peace 
.  .  he  establisheth  all  her  vows  ...  he  confirmeth 
them/  So  likewise  silence  in  the  presence  of  sin  is 
tacit  consent;  it  certainly  is  not  pronounced  disap- 
proval, which  is  the  duty  of  every  Christian.  There 
must  be  the  spoken  word  against  the  sinner  and  his 
sin  for  a  man  to  be  exonerated.  Say  nothing  is  fail- 
ure in  duty.  Say  something  is  God's  will  concerning 
every  man  in  Christ  Jesus.  'Have  no  fellowship  with 
the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  but  rather  reprove 
them.'  'Reprove,  rebuke,  exhort,  with  all  long  suffer- 
ing and  doctrine/  John  the  Baptist  reproved  Herod. 
John  Knox  reproved  bloody  Queen  Mary.  With  apos- 
tacy  reproof  ceases.  For  how  can  he  reprove  who  is 
not  himself  clear?  The  retort  would  be  made, 
'Physician,  heal  thyself/  'Unto  the  wicked  God  saith, 
What  hast  thou  to  do  that  thou  shouldest  declare  My 
statutes,  or  that  thou  shouldest  take  My  covenant  in 
thy  mouth?  When  thou  sawest  a  thief  thou  consent- 
edst  with  him/ ' 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  a  very  vital  principle  in  a  life 


134  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

of  godliness.  Witness  for  righteousness  is  not  com- 
plete without  witness  against  unrighteousness.  And 
doubtless  why  reproof  of  sin  is  so  rare  is  because 
those  who  should  reprove  cannot,  being  themselves 
sinners.  For  it  is  not  concealed,  it  is  the  open  terri- 
ble fact,  that  the  industrial  and  commercial  barons 
who  devise  spoliation  and  bring  it  to  pass  are  wear- 
ers of  the  name  Christian  and  officers  in  the  spurious 
Christianity  of  the  day.  Names  will  come  to  the 
mind  of  all.  In  complicity  with  evil,  consent  with  a 
thief  effectually  shuts  the  mouth  against  condemna- 
tion of  it,  against  rebuke  of  the  presumptuous  sinner. 
Instruction  should  be  given  in  the  churches  upon 
silence  being  tantamount  to  endorsement.  In  the 
war  against  sin  the  tongue  should  find  employment, 
to  disapprove  it." 

"That  means,  John,  that  individuals  must  be  ap- 
proached. The  guilty  one  must  be  visited.  -A  brother 
or  a  group  must  wait  upon  him  to  show  him  his  sin. 
He  should  be  approached  meekly  but  not  timidly; 
compassionately  but  not  servilely — after  prayer,  and 
with  desire  for  his  conversion.  With  reproof 
there  should  be  exhortation  to  repentance.  And 
above  all  teaching;  for  maybe  in  many  cases  ignor- 
ance of  what  is  righteousness,  along  with  greed,  has 
been  an  important  element  in  his  unf  raternal  course. 
He  who  does  not  know  the  rules  for  a  new  creature 
in  Christ  Jesus,  nor  even  those  of  our  common  hu- 
manity, may  do  wrong  without  being  aware  of  its 
wrongness.  The  law  is  informatory.  The  visitor 
or  visitors  must  be  prepared  with  reasons  solid  and 
incontrovertible  for  another  way  of  living." 

"But  suppose,  dear  Dad,  the  corporationist,  swim- 
ming in  plenty,  is  not  amenable  to  the  instruction 
of  righteousness ;  suppose  he  has  become  so  perverted 
in  nature  that  tender  human  instincts  have  been 
dulled  or  obliterated;  suppose  he  has  fortified  him- 


Protesting  and  Isolating  the  Grasper  135 

self  with  arguments  to  sustain  and  justify  him  in  his 
life  of  exploitation,  what  then?  You  know  how 
plausible  Big  Business  is  and  how  sophistically  it 
argues  the  great  accruing  good  to  the  public  from 
capital  and  its  employment  in  development  of  nat- 
ural wealth  and  building  industrial  factories,  and 
so  forth,  which  of  course  is  not  the  reason  why  they 
are  established — not  by  a  million  miles ;  but  only  an 
afterthought,  as  an  excuse  for  the  graft  concerns— 
what  then  is  to  be  done  with  such  a  person  ?" 

"John,  certainly  the  fallacy  of  his  arguments  must 
be  met;  but  if  after  that  he  still  persists  in  being  a 
covetous,  greedy  man,  running  business  on  the 
basis  of  love  of  himself  to  the  injury  of  the  world, 
he  must  be — what?  'Avoided'  is  the  scriptural  word; 
separated  from  the  company  of  men.  The  modern 
word  is  'boycotted/  A  stigma  must  be  put  upon  him. 
No  violence  must  be  used.  There  must  be  no  ill- 
treatment  of  him  as  a  man.  Retribution  belongs  to 
God.  'Vengeance  is  Mine;  I  will  repay/  saith  the 
Lord.  He  must  simply  be  sequestered  from  man- 
kind. He  must  not  be  reviled,  spat  upon  nor  cuffed. 
Righteous  men  must  go  away  from  him ;  hold  no  in- 
tercourse with  him;  leave  him  alone  in  his  infamy/' 

"Dad,  that  is  certainly  drastic  treatment.  Still  it 
does  not  seem  unjust,  nor  too  severe.  He  whose  asso- 
ciation with  men  is  to  pilfer  from  them ;  who  estab- 
lishes it  in  a  gigantic  business;  who  bends  all  his 
energies  and  uses  all  the  facilities  he  can  command  to 
steal  from  them ;  paying  only  such  wages  as  the  com- 
pulsion of  labor  forces,  is  a  man  who  deserves  neither 
companion  nor  companionship.  To  be  severely  let 
alone  is  his  due.  And  yet,  would  you  not  counsel 
toward  such  a  man  feelings  of  commiseration  and 
prayers  for  his  return ;  with  relentings  and  receiving 
again  of  the  offender  when  he  showed  the  least  sign 
of  contrition?" 


136  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"John,  yes,  yes !  It  is  the  sin  that  is  abominated ; 
the  sinner  is  involved  per  consequence.  And  God  is 
always  merciful  to  the  returning  sinner;  and  we 
must  be  like  Him.  But  think,  John,  what  that  would 
mean  to  a  man  for  all  men  to  separate  him  from 
their  society  as  too  depraved  and  too  inhuman  for 
association." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  imagine  such  isolation  would  be 
dreadful  in  this  teeming  world!  I  once  heard 
a  man  describe  the  feeling  that  is  born  of  soli- 
tariness, who  had  traveled  in  Alaska.  He  said  the 
absolute  stillness  and  the  thought  that  he  was  alone, 
nearly  made  him  mad.  And  for  a  man  among  multi- 
tudes of  people  to  be  alone,  all  refusing  to  speak  to 
him,  and  for  it  ever  to  be  before  his  mind  why — the 
reason  of  their  abstention — would  surely  have  a 
great  effect  upon  him." 


CHAPTER  X. 

Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter 

(Continued) 


"JOHN,  you  need  not  fear  that  it  is  too  great  sever- 
ity to  treat  a  hold-up  man,  yclept  corporation-ex- 
ploiter, as  I  have  suggested,  namely,  sever  relation- 
ship with  him  and  leave  him  alone  in  his  guilt  and 
shame.  It  is  of  course  fair  to  give  him  a  chance  by 
first  going  to  him  and  reasoning  of  righteousness. 
Persuasion  is  first  treatment.  But  if  after  being  ad- 
monished he  still  remains  stubborn,  his  contumacy 
calls  for  further  action.  That  action  is  not  to  be  de- 
cided by  man,  after  his  own  heart.  To  be  in  the  will 
of  God  we  must  be  instructed  by  God.  And  His  rule 
with  regard  to  stubbornness  is  told  us  as  follows: 
'We  hear  there  are  some  which  walk  among  you  dis- 
orderly, working  not  at  all,  but  are  busybodies.  Now 
them  that  are  such  we  command  and  exhort  by  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  with  quietness  they  work, 
and  eat  their  own  bread.  And  if  any  man  obey  not 
our  word  by  this  epistle  note  that  man,  and  have  no 
company  with  him,  that  he  may  be  ashamed.  Yet 
count  him  not  as  an  enemy,  but  admonish  him  as  a 
brother.'  Now  if  a  man  is  to  be  noted  and  with- 
drawn from  for  mere  idleness,  how  much  more  so 
for  drawing  off  from  the  subterranean  reservoir 
where  God  has  stored  oil,  gas,  etc.  His  provision  for 
all,  putting  the  price  of  it,  less  what  he  must  pay 


138  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

for  the  draught,  into  his  own  and  his  friends'  jeans. 
And  when  one  and  a  dozen  go  to  him  and  say,  'Let 
him  that  stole  steal  no  more/  and  he  will  not  stop 
stealing,  but  becomes  notorious  for  his  audacity, 
should  he  be  received  among  working  men  the  same 
as  the  honest  toiler  whose  bread  is  won  by  fair  labor  ? 
Reason,  leave  out  the  higher  wisdom,  answers  No." 

"Dad,  he  should  not.  He  is  not  even  a  good  citi- 
zen, much  less  a  good  Christian.  He  is  not  a  good 
man." 

"John,  when  I  say  he  should  be  sent  off  as  Cain 
was,  with  all  but  the  brand  mark,  which  is  the  espe- 
cial mark  for  murder,  I  mean  it  literally.  I  mean  that 
when  he  goes  into  a  store  to  buy  goods  men  should 
step  out.  When  he  walks  on  the  pavement  men 
should  cross  to  the  opposite  side.  When  he  enters  a 
car  men  should  go  into  the  next  car.  When  he  goes 
to  church  (but  what  such  a  man  as  this  can  want  to 
go  to  church  for  it  is  hard  to  tell)  men  should  get  up 
and  leave.  When  he  stays  to  communion  Christian 
men  should  not  partake.  Good  men  should  not  recog- 
nize nor  salute  him  upon  the  street ;  no  right  hand  of 
friendship  or  fellowship  should  be  given  him;  no 
conversation  had  with  him.  Always,  everywhere  he 
should  be  made  to  feel  himself  an  outcast.  Not  for 
hatred's  sake.  Nobody  could  hate  such  an  unprinci- 
pled, such  a  wretched  man,  but  for  righteousness' 
sake,  whose  countenance  toward  him  should  be  stern 
with  condemnation." 

"Dad,  those  who  make  little  of  righteousness  might 
think  this  exceedingly  harsh  and  unchristian." 

"Friend  John,  that  would  only  be  those  who  do  not 
know  Christ.  Methinks  the  Master  could  frown  with 
the  sternest  as  well  as  weep  with  the  tenderest.  Why 
do  not  people  read  their  Bible?  If  they  did,  they 
would  find  in  it  these  passages,  'He  looked  round 
about  on  them  with  anger ;'  'the  wrath  [anger]  of  the 


Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter     139 

Lamb  is  come/  They  would  also  find  He  said  to  His 
disciples,  'Have  nothing  to  do  with  them/  (Let 
them  alone/)  Of  course  this  was  with  allusion  to 
the  stubborn  Pharisees  (but  not  more  stubborn  than 
the  capitalistic  thief  who  will  not  repent).  John, 
who  of  those  who  are  Israel  are  on  the  Lord's  side? 
Where  are  the  soldiers?  Why  are  they  not  out  in 
warfare?" 

"Alas,  Dad,  I  fear  many  of  them  are  bought  by 
interest  and  so  are  tongue-tied.  I  fear  they  are  in 
the  incorporations  themselves  and  would  have  to 
get  out.  Not  that  these  have  been  guilty  like  the 
promoters.  To  them  it  has  been  a  simple  investment. 
They  are  far  from  harmful  intent.  Their  money  is 
entrusted  as  to  stewards.  They  have  not  examined 
what  the  business  is  based  upon,  or  its  shady  work- 
ing. Yet  they  are  a  part  of  the  concern.  'Come  out 
of  her  My  people/  is  a  command  causing  consterna- 
tion. Alack  for  the  dividend-check  that  is  as  much 
a  silencer  as  a  bullet.  As  the  orders  upon  the  bank 
of  deposit  pass  through  Satan's  financial  department, 
he  may  rub  his  hands  with  glee,  and  chuckle :  'Hush 
money!  this  will  keep  folks  quiet!'  He  knows  what 
a  big  percentage  of  interest  means  in  most  instances 
— no  inquiry  and  no  let  go.  The  sop  satisfies. 
Enough  said.  'Come  out  of  her  My  people,  that  ye 
partake  not  of  her  sins  and  receive  not  of  her 
plagues/  'That  ye  partake  not  of  her  sins' — is  that 
what  it  says?  'and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her 
plagues' — does  it  say  that  too  ?'  There  is  no  stir ;  no 
response  of  obedience.  The  friendship  with  Mam- 
mon stands  pat ;  I  mean  the  Mammon  of  unrighteous- 
ness— of  unrighteous  business.  Evil  is  called  good ; 
darkness  light.  Believers  and  infidels,  respectable 
people  and  crooks  are  joined  as  one  to  share  the  plun- 
der !  O  why  were  not  my  eyes  always  open  to  these 
things?  Why  was  I  ever  one  of  them?  But,  never 


140  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

again!  Never!  Never!  John,  it  puts  me  in  mind 
of  an  epitaph  on  a  tombstone.  A  man  wrote  it  be- 
fore his  death.  'I  have  sinned;  I  have  repented;  I 
have  been  forgiven/  That  is  as  near  the  wording 
as  I  can  remember;  it  is  at  least  the  substance.  'I 
have  sinned;*  let  us  drop  our  eyes  with  shame  and 
sorrow.  7  have  repented!'  not  till  we  get  there  are 
we  anywhere :  the  place  of  repentance,  the  hour,  the 
fact.  God  grant  it  to  covetous  seekers  of  money, 
place  and  power — to  those  who,  loving  the  wages  of 
unrighteousness,  run  greedily  in  the  way  of  Baalim 
for  a  reward ;  and  whose  eyes  are  so  full  of  illusion 
that,  as  a  traveler  in  the  desert,  they  see  the  satis- 
faction of  their  thirst  in  a  mere  mirage." 

"Dear  Dad,  'I  have  repented' — returned,  come 
back  from  the  evil  life  of  covetousness,  to  love  of 
others  and  to  the  seeking  of  their  wealth — that  alone 
is  acceptable  to  God  and  satisfactory  to  the  world." 

"0  these  wicked  exploiters,  John,  what  'nerve' 
they  have !  How  composed  they  are !  They  quail  at 
nothing.  As  they  stand  in  court,  accused  of  crimes, 
they  seem  to  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  criminality  is 
charged  against  them.  They  reply  that  the  busi- 
ness in  which  they  have  engaged  unholily  has  been 
'prosperous;'  that  they  have  made  a  'success'  of  it 
as  managers ;  that  they  have  divided  up  millions  of 
dollars  with  their  stockholders !  A  poor  and  unsatis- 
factory reply  indeed.  As  though  such  'success'  was 
makeweight  for  the  wrongs  they  have  committed." 

"While  these  wicked  exploiters  talk  of  'success,' 
dear  Dad,  and  'prosperity,'  and  'big  profits,'  they  are 
soaked  in  greediness,  almost  to  pickling.  In  fact, 
they  are  pickled  men;  not  the  good,  hearty,  honest 
men  that  God  and  the  people  love." 

"John,  you  are  right;  for  what  does  'prosperity' 
and  'success'  mean  to  them?  Do  they  mean  any- 
thing noble  as  toward  their  brother?  Are  they 


Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter     141 

talking  about  their  employees*  great  benefit  and  hap- 
piness, material  and  spiritual;  such  as  the  Apostle 
prayed  for  when  he  wrote,  'that  thou  mayest  prosper 
and  be  in  health'?  Everybody  knows  it  is  not  the 
prosperity  of  their  men  of  which  they  are  talking. 
And  'success' — do  they  mean  that  they  are  making 
the  lives  of  others  something  of  value  and  joy  with 
their  brotherly  help;  that  they  are  refining  and 
Christianizing  them ;  that  they  are  bringing  them  up 
to  heights  of  greatness  and  goodness  whereon  they 
had  never  before  stood?'  Dear  John,  you  laugh: 
why?" 

"Dad,  those  men,  those  mercenary  men,  those  dol- 
lar-chasing men  have  any  such  thought  in  their 
covetous  hearts ;  as  well  may  we  think  of  Satan  being 
filled  with  the  goodness  of  God !" 

"You  cannot  think  it  of  them,  John.  Their  next 
words  will  tell  you  what  is  'prosperity'  and  'success' 
in  their  stay-at-home  hearts.  They  point  to  figures 
representing  money.  More  dollars  for  themselves. 
Gotten — how  ?  Alas,  at  the  expense  of  wearing  down 
their  employees  till  there  is  nothing  of  strength  or 
thought  left  in  them  for  their  family  or  their  God. 
It  is  loss  to  their  slaves ;  for  themselves  it  is  ducats 
that  do  not  enrich.  War  upon  such  men !" 

"Have  you  noticed,  dear  Dad,  that  there  are  only 
two  ways  possible  to  regard  men  if  we  have  positive- 
ness  of  being?  Of  course,  if  we  are  jelly-fish  it  is 
different.  Those  ways  are,  with  favor  or  aversion. 
That  is,  with  estimation  or  abomination.  And  truly, 
to  his  victims,  an  exploiter  is  an  'abomination,'  even 

in  'abomination  that  maketh  desolate.'    And  toward 
ich  an  'abominable'  one  there  must  be  no  greeting 

>f  friendship.     Let  there  ever  be  a  distinction  put 
itween  the  precious  and  the  vile  of  humanity.     'I 

lever  did  a  day's  work  in  my  life,'  bragged  a  man; 

ind  the  exploiter,  if  he  would  speak  truthfully,  would 


142  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

say :  7  have  never  done  an  honest  day's  work  in  my 
life.' 

"  'But  how  have  you  lived  ?' 

"With  a  grin,  'You  bet !    I  have  lived.' 

"  'But  how  have  you  lived,  if  you  have  never  done 
any  work?' 

"With  a  chuckle:  'It  is  all  in  knowing  how?  I 
was  wise.  I  knew  how  to  make  others  put  in  their 
capital ;  and  how  to  make  the  poor  man  work ;  and  I 
have  lived;  and  you  can  guess  how  I  have  lived. 
And  if  you  were  smart  you  could  live  the  same 
way.' " 

"Yes,  if  we  were  the  same  unscrupulous  rascal  as 
the  exploiter  we  could  live  and  be  rich  and  boast  of 
'success'  and  'prosperity'  as  he.  God  save  the  mark 
— we  should  be  as  sure  of  hell  as  he  is !  Such  a  man 
is  for  a  sign !  not  an  example." 

"Yes,  Dad,  for  a  sign — a  warning!  'Abominable 
are  they!  0  my  soul,  flee  away  from  them.  They 
are  a  contagion.  There  is  revulsion  in  the  good  man's 
soul  against  the  exploiter.  He  must  not  be  counted 
or  courted  as  a  'worthy'  man." 

"But,  John,  you  could  not  get  the  average  man, 
nor  the  average  minister,  to  think  thus  of  a  rich 
man — usually  an  exploiter,  or  the  inheritor  of 
wealth  made  by  an  exploiter.  Although  it  is  hard 
for  such  a  man  to  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  heaven, 
it  is  easy  for  him  to  join  a  church.  The  'examina- 
tion' of  such  a  man  is  not  made  very  rigorous;  in- 
deed if  he  just  intimates  he  would  like  to  become  a 
member  of  an  ecclesiastical  organization  he  can  get 
the  right  hand  of  fellowship — 'next  Sunday.'  He  is 
not  kept  waiting.  Nothing  is  asked  about  his  wealth 
— how  he  got  it ;  or  if  he  has  no  restitution  to  make  to 
anybody.  I  forgot,  though,  soon  after  he  is  made  a 
member,  it  may  be  asked,  unless  he  volunteers  in  the 


Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter     143 

matter,  how  much  he  will  contribute  to  the  church 
expense,  pastor's  salary,  missions,  and  so  forth." 

"Dear,  Dad,  the  rich  exploiter  practically  buys  his 
way  into  the  church  and  into  the  good  graces  of  the 
people.  He  knows  that  'money  talks.'  He  is  wise  as 
to  what  money  will  do ;  as  well  as  how  to  get  it.  Ever 
since  the  time  Jacob  sent  a  present  to  Esau,  if  not 
before,  it  has  been  understood  that  'a  gift  procureth 
favor.'  The  exploiter,  alias  thief,  by  the  judicious 
use  of  his  ill-gotten  money,  gets  reputation  as  a 
'generous'  man !  He  is  a  philanthropist !  If  he  helps 
the  'ladies  of  the  church'  in  their  enterprises  he  is 
a  'beautiful  man !'  And  I  really  think,  amid  all  the 
homage  he  receives,  he  forgets  his  injustice  and  be- 
lieves himself  a  paragon  of  benevolence !  If  he  had 
been  avoided,  as  he  should  have  been,  he  never  could 
come  to  such  self-delusion." 

"John,  you  speak  the  truth,  the  rich  man  is  angled 
for  by  ecclesiasticism.  It  rejoices  over  one  such 
more  than  over  a  dozen  poor  men.  Sigh  and  cry  for 
the  'cause  of  God/  so-called,  in  the  world!  When  I 
was  a  boy  my  father  told  me  that  it  was  the  exhorta- 
tion of  John  Wesley  never  to  make  a  rich  man  'neces- 
sary* in  Society.  Directly  he  becomes  necessary  and 
knows  it  he  will  dictate  things.  Or  perhaps,  to  use  a 
little  softer  word,  'suggest'  this  or  that.  If  anything 
is  to  be  done,  Brother  Exploiter  must  be  consulted. 
He  must  not  be  offended.  'If  he  should  leave,  we  may 
as  well  shut  up  the  church.'  The  brother  knows  he  is 
'necessary.'  That  is  the  principal  cause  of  the  de- 
cline of  the  church  today ;  the  rich,  who  are  question- 
able men  with  God,  are  'necessary'  to  the  organiza- 
tions. Hence  selfishness,  the  world,  rules.  It  is  in 
honor.  It  will  do  nothing  against  Satan's  kingdom. 
So  long  as  the  cunning  old  devil  can  make  the  rich 
by  robbery  acceptable  in  the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  and 
even  judges  of  the  service  of  God,  he  has  nothing  to 


144  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

fear.  His  house  is  kept  in  safety.  Poor  ministers! 
servants  of  their  rich  members.  So  shrewdly  flanked 
that  they  know  not  that  they  have  lost !" 

"Dad,  let  us  pity,  when  we  blame,  the  capitalistic 
ministers.  I  heard  one  say  a  few  months  ago — a  man 
of  good  understanding  of  righteousness  but  one  who 
was  surrounded  in  the  church  by  many  rich  men — 
that  he  felt  there  was  a  great  lack.  Their  orthodoxy 
was  unassailable ;  but  0  the  power,  the  power,  that  is 
God,  was  absent !  How  could  He  be  present  ?  How 
could  His  Spirit  work  where  money  was  king — and 
God!" 

"John,  how  different  it  is  in  Community.  Big 
bad  fish  is  not  its  desire ;  only  little,  good  ones.  Com- 
munity receives  no  rich  exploiter,  except  upon  con- 
fession of  the  evil  of  his  past  life  and  his  announced 
determination  to  forsake  it.  To  Community,  a  rich 
man  is  not  necessary.  If  he  joins,  it  is  to  become  on 
an  equality  with  every  other  brother.  His  sinful  life 
must  cease  immediately.  Community  has  no  big,  ex- 
pensive show-church  to  keep  up.  Building  is  noth- 
ing, except  only  that  it  must  be  clean  and  commo- 
dious; worship  is  everything.  When  Americans 
flock  to  Europe  as  tourists  their  greatest  attraction  is 
the  old  churches.  They  are  very  beautiful  as  works 
of  art.  Doubtless  they  were  erected  in  many  in- 
stances with  a  worthy  motive.  But  they  express  an 
essential  error;  for  God,  since  the  Temple  was 
thrown  down,  has  had  no  palace  on  earth.  His 
home  in  which  He  lives  and  walks  is  the  contrite 
and  believing  heart." 

"Dear  Dad,  Community  can  be  kept  pure  because 
it  does  not  need  a  patron ;  and  certainly  not  a  selfish 
one,  with  an  axe  to  grind.  Selfishness  is  excluded; 
in  the  very  covenant  of  fellowship  it  is  renounced  for 
the  sake  of  all.  All,  all!  the  self-seeking  individual 
may  be  an  observer  of  the  mutual  accord ;  a  fellow  is 


Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter     145 

something  else.  He  may  knock  at  the  door  and  be 
answered  by  the  porter  with : 

"  Who  is  there?' 

"  'A  rich  man.' 

"'A  rich  man,  humph!  What  does  a  rich  man 
want  here?' 

"  'Please  let  me  in.' 

"  'What  for  ?  The  business  of  money-making  is  not 
practiced  in  Community ;  we  do  not  work  for  an  indi- 
vidual.' 

"  'But  please  report  to  the  elders  that  Mr.  Money- 
bags wants  to  belong  to  Society.' 

"But  I  tell  you,  this  is  not  a  hunting  ground  for  a 
poacher ;  it  is  a  holy  Brotherhood,  living  in  our  Fath- 
er's house.' 

"  'Oh,  oh !  Then  I  must  go  to  some  other  church, 
if  you  do  not  count  me  worthy.' 

"  'Man,  there  is  a  way  by  which  you  can  become 
one  of  us.  We  have  left  all  to  follow  Jesus.  If  you 
will  do  the  same,  then  may  you  lodge  with  us  in  this 
pavilion  of  the  Lord.' 

"There  is  no  room  for  the  exploiter  in  Community ; 
he  is  not  a  character  held  in  estimation.  0  my  God ! 
my  God!  how  glad  the  churches  are  to  get  Dives! 
For  Dives  is  a  go-to-church  man.  His  penchant  is 
religion ;  but  no  more  purely  or  benevolently  than  his 
run  of  business.  What  chance  has  Lazarus  ?  though 
Lazarus  will  at  last  repose  in  the  near  companionship 
and  especial  love  of  Father  Abraham — the  greatest 
aspiration  of  a  pious  Hebrew.  Poor  Lazarus !  he  is  a 
man  of  desire.  His  desire  is  the  scraps,  the  left-over 
pieces,  the  partially  gnawed  bones  of  the  exploiter's 
table!  How  mean  his  condition;  how  small  his  de- 
sires! But  he  does  not  get  even  these  and  so  he 
dies!  But  the  Church  cares  not  that  he  dies!  He 
never  was  any  'strength'  to  the  Church.  He  never 
could  'support'  it.  And,  then,  too,  he  wants  'crumbs.' 


146  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

And  the  Church  is  made  poorer  the  'crumbs'  by  his 
membership !  Dives  is  the  man !  How  he  is  fawned 
upon.  And  Dives  knows  it  all." 

"Dear  Dad,  the  churches  believe  practically  that 
riches,  not  wisdom  and  spirituality,  is  their  strength ; 
and  so  they  lean  upon  the  wealth  of  man,  no  matter 
how  obtained.  ('No  questions  asked/)  But  I  read 
in  Ecclesiastes  about  a  poor  wise  man  who  was  his 
city's  welfare  more  than  all  the  rest  of  the  people, 
even  the  Moneybags,  if  there  lived  any  such  in  that 
city.  'There  was  a  little  city,  and  few  men  within 
it;  and  there  came  a  great  king  against  it,  and  be- 
sieged it,  and  built  great  bulwarks  against  it.  Now 
there  was  found  in  it  a  poor  wise  man,  and  he  by  his 
wisdom  delivered  the  city;  yet  no  man  remembered 
that  same  poor  man.  Then  said  I,  Wisdom  is  better 
than  strength:  nevertheless  the  poor  man's  wisdom 
is  despised,  and  his  words  are  not  heard.'  The  poor 
man,  with  Divine  goodness,  with  heavenly  wisdom, 
who  would  preserve  the  Church,  holding  it  against 
all  enemies  (spiritual) ,  'his  wisdom  is  despised,  and 
his  words  are  not  heard.'  The  fellow  whose  desert 
is  the  curses  of  humanity  wins,  because  he  can  make 
the  clink  that  'sounds  good'  to  worshippers  of  Mam- 
mon. What  poor  'strength'  is  money,  such  polluted 
money,  to  the  cause  of  righteousness !  Christianity, 
I  mean  Christ's  Christianity,  does  not  consist  in 
keeping  up  church  buildings  and  paying  orators  for 
jingling  speeches.  It  lives  much  more  in  barring  out 
the  wicked  rich  and  bearing  the  burdens  of  the  Lord's 
poor ;  indeed,  in  making  poverty  ancient  history." 

"Dear  John,  I  should  like  to  see  a  'clean  up;' 
but  it  will  never  be  in  the  modern  church.  It  cannot 
be.  The  church  would  go  to  pieces  in  the  operation. 
It  could  not  survive  the  ordeal.  The  bottles  are  old. 
New  wine  would  burst  them.  The  Community  life 
and  love  of  the  first  estate  must  be  a  thing  apart.  Of 


Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter     147 

course,  the  good  members  in  the  ecclesiastical  bodies 
could  take  the  welfare  of  Zion  to  heart  and  agree  one 
with  another  to  establish  the  more  excellent  way.  It 
could  be  done.  But  an  already  satisfied  company  is 
not  likely  to  have  in  it  earnest  care  and  love  for  all 
saints.  I  recollect  how  when  dinner  was  called  the 
father  who  presided  used  to  look  around  and  see  if  all 
the  family  were  present,  before  eating.  If  one  chair 
was  vacant,  he  asked,  'Where  is  Thomas?  Go  and 
call  Thomas,  and  we  will  all  eat  together/  Dear  Dad 
said,  in  effect  'We  will  eat  when  all  can  eat/  The 
Church  is  not  so  today.  It  cares  not  for  Thomas, 
the  absent  brother.  It  falls  to  as  a  lot  of  pigs,  and 
poor  Thomas  it  not  thought  of.  Would  it  not  be  a 
good  motto  to  adopt :  'We  will  eat  when  all  can  eat'  ? 
A  scramble  for  self  only  is  not  Christianity.  We 
have  not  so  been  taught  of  Christ.  The  exploiter 
must  be  ousted;  the  brethren  must  all  be  known  as 
having  necessary  things  for  the  body,  for  a  true 
Christian  Commonwealth.  (Of  course,  for  the  spirit 
likewise  is  understood.)" 

"Dear  Dad,  is  not  that  what  you  are  seeking  as  the 
object  of  your  labor  and  prayers — a  running  institu- 
tion upon  the  basis  of  labor  and  love?  happy  condi- 
tions and  happy  scenes  that  is  happiness  for  all?" 

"0,  John,  for  such  things  I  would  die;  and  it  looks 
from  present  experience  that  one  may  have  to  lay 
down  his  life  in  continual  service  to  accomplish  it. 
But  it  is  good  dying !  At  times  I  feel  as  if  the  body 
cannot  endure  the  anguish  and  toil.  But  I  should  like 
to  live  to  see  with  my  own  eyes  the  brethren  become 
brethren.  Then  I  am  sure  I  could  ask  my  dismission 
from  life  in  some  such  words  as  the  Nunc  dimittis  of 
Simeon  the  blessed — 'Lord,  now  lettest  Thou  thy  ser- 
vant depart  in  peace/ ' 

"Yes,  Dad,  good  living  makes  good  dying.  On  the 
altar  of  service  and  sacrifice,  consuming  in  the  flame 


148  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

of  love,  what  can  be  better  using  up  ?  God  give  us  all 
the  passion  of  love  even  to  willingness  and  offering 
of  ourselves  to  death  to  accomplish  the  deliverance 
of  the  captives  of  hellish  selfishness,  the  unspeakable 
industrialism  of  our  times !" 

"John,  you  questioned  me  a  few  moments  ago 
about  Community  conditions  and  scenes;  I  will  tell 
you  what  you  will  not  see  on  Main  street,  nor  on 
any  parallel  or  side  streets  of  the  City  of  Brotherly 
Love.  You  will  not  see  any  Dives'  palace  with  exten- 
sive grounds,  side  by  side  with  a  hovel.  You  will  not 
see  a  righteous  man,  a  brother  in  Christ,  lying  at  his 
gates,  in  the  poor  plight  of  Lazarus,  with  dogs  com- 
ing up  and  licking  his  sores.  You  will  not  hear 
Lazarus  express  desire  for  a  scrap  from  the  rich 
man's  table!  God,  no!  Shame  upon  the  ministers 
who  serve  rich  men  and  not  Christ  and  His  poor 
brethren,  that  they  have  not  made  a  rumpus  about  it ! 
that  they  have  not  been  frantic  (furious)  over  the 
exploitation  of  brother  by  brother !  A  hundred  zea- 
lots for  God — themselves  above  all  suspicion  for  sin- 
cerity and  helpful  love — going  from  town  to  town 
on  a  true  crusade,  and  holding  red-hot  meetings, 
could  move  the  entire  nation!  And  it  ought  to  be 
done.  I  recommend  that  it  be  done.  I  will  be  one  of 
the  party." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  a  great  suggestion.  It  brings  to 
my  mind  the  friars  of  the  past.  Without  doubt,  at 
the  first  they  were  very  good  men;  fired  with  a 
mighty  fervor  against  the  grossness  of  their  times. 
Their  movement  had  in  it  however  elements  that 
should  be  omitted  by  holy  men  of  the  new  reforma- 
tion. But  the  spirit  and  consecration  of  the  friars 
may  well  be  imitated." 

"Yes,  John,  if  one  hundred  men,  moved  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  filled  with  a  burning  indignation 
against  the  despicable  despoilers  of  mankind,  the 


Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter     149 

abominable  exploiters  of  the  country ;  and  filled  also 
with  resolution  to  be  big  brothers  to  the  little  broth- 
ers too  feeble  to  defend  themselves,  would  form  them- 
selves into  ten  companies  of  ten  brethren  to  a  com- 
pany, and  go  through  our  cities  and  towns,  visiting 
all  the  rich  rascals  who  control  business,  and  going 
from  house  to  house  to  instruct  the  people,  holding 
also  public  meetings,  what  a  stir  for  a  change  would 
be  set  in  motion  and  what  good  must  follow." 

"Dad,  that  would  be  the  movement  of  all  time.  It 
would  be  a  Pro-righteousness  Movement — O,  so  bad- 
ly needed!  But  what  if  men  could  not  leave  their 
businesses  to  do  it?  for,  of  course  they  could  not 
neglect  to  its  ruin  their  means  of  livelihood." 

"John,  there  are  enough  men  of  leisure,  men  with 
time  on  their  hands,  to  do  this.  It  only  needs  the 
heart,  the  interest  in  others,  to  set  it  going;  and 
there  should  be  in  the  nation  a  few  who  would  forget 
self-gain  to  make  gain  for  mankind." 

"Dad,  how  would  you  proceed  to  make  an  effective 
job  of  it?" 

"I  would  have  the  facts  of  jobbery  put  up  on  the 
people,  of  unearned  gain  made  out  of  them,  of  bur- 
dens imposed  to  profit  a  few,  of  loan  sharks'  depreda- 
tions, of  merciless  foreclosures  of  struggling,  unfor- 
tunate men,  all  prepared  for  a  public  charge  and  de- 
nunciation. I  would  have  the  churches  notified  to 
toe  the  mark  in  regard  to  their  duty  or  be  stricken 
out  as  churches  of  Christ.  I  would  have  men  ap- 
pealed to  and  argued  with  for  better  things.  In  case 
of  non-compliance  sin  should  be  exposed  and  wicked 
men  made  odious.  I  would  have  the  workers  get  the 
good  people  together  and  help  them  establish  com- 
munities of  mutual  love  and  reciprocal  service  and 
maintenance.  And  every  bit  of  this  is  practical. 
And  it  ought  to  be  done." 

"Dad,  your  suggestion  is  really  almost  like  a  reve- 


150  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

lation  and  command  from  heaven  to  be  up  and  at  it. 
I  never  conceived  such  a  thorough  way  of  dealing 
with  the  oppression  and  spoliation  of  the  masses. 
And  the  expense  could  be  made  very  little;  because 
there  would  be  nobody  to  bribe  or  overpay  as  in  a 
political  campaign." 

"Dear  John,  the  expense  could  be  reduced  to  a 
minimum.  In  many  places  worthy  men  and  women 
would  offer  bed  and  board  free  to  such  messengers 
of  God,  or  at  any  rate  for  the  actual  cost  of  the  food 
and  the  wages  of  somebody  to  prepare  it.  The  news- 
papers would  in  many  instances  give  support  to  such 
a  movement.  Unfortunately  some  of  them  are 
owned  by  capitalists,  and  they  would  fight  the  'craze.' 
But  if  the  men  of  God  could  not  overwhelm  their  an- 
tagonists they  would  be  poorly  qualified  soldiers. 
Cars  could  be  chartered  at  a  reduction  for  travel. 
Printing  would  be  the  principal  item.  But  a  few 
thousand  dollars  would  go  a  long  way.  It  could  be 
done;  there  is  no  line  where  it  would  be  impossible. 
0  may  God  ignite  some  good  men  to  start  the  fire! 
Setting  a  few  men  afire  is  the  greatest  way  to  em- 
blaze a  community." 

"I  think,  dear  Dad,  the  bare  announcement,  'The 
Reformers  are  coming !  The  Reformers  are  coming !' 
would  strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  advantage- 
takers  and  the  men  of  shady  deeds.  They  would 
dread  the  exposure;  for  exposure  would  be  first  at- 
tack, if  after  being  talked  with  privately  they  would 
not  desist  from  their  bad  economic  or  social  course." 

"Dear  John,  this  would  be  advanced  treatment, 
and  more  effective  than  isolating  the  bad  man  from 
fellowship.  But  I  would  give  every  bad  man  in- 
formed upon  a  chance,  privately,  to  'save  his  face/ 
Of  course,  an  inquiry  would  be  instituted,  and  all 
who  regarded  themselves  as  wronged  or  who  knew 
of  any  wrong  would  be  invited  to  testify  before  a 


Just  Treatment  of  the  Exploiter     151 

committee  in  private,  or  communicate  what  they 
knew  by  letter." 

"If  such  a  movement  is  started,  dear  Dad,  it  cannot 
fail  of  good  results;  and  all  over  the  land  groups  of 
homes  will  be  erected  for  those  who  are  tired  of  being 
worked  for  the  exploiter's  benefit." 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  Predicted  Age  of  Covetousness 
Has  Come 


"IN  view  of  the  many  mistakes  which  have  been 
made  by  Christian  believers  at  different  periods  of 
the  world's  history  about  the  Second  Advent,  or  re- 
turn of  our  Lord  Jesus  to  the  earth — believers  as 
sound  at  heart,  as  sane  in  mind,  and  as  well-informed 
as  the  best  of  scholars — I  feel  I  should  speak  cau- 
tiously, but  not  doubtfully.  Infallibility  of  inter- 
pretation belongs  to  no  man,  although  pretentiously 
claimed  by  one  of  our  number,  to  be  disproved  many, 
many  times.  Still  there  are  those  who  act  as  iner- 
rant,  instead  of  humbly  owning  their  limitations  and 
mental  infirmities,  and  admitting  that  they  may  come 
to  conclusions  upon  imperfect  knowledge  which 
must  later  be  confessed  to  be  mistakes.  However, 
for  those  who  have  at  times  announced  our  Lord's 
advent  as  near,  and  an  event  that  would  take  place  on 
a  certain  date,  and  which  they  not  only  confidently 
but  joyfully  anticipated,  there  is  this  to  say,  that 
with  many  it  was  the  sign  of  a  good  state  of  heart 
and  of  a  readiness  to  meet  their  Master;  which  is 
much  too  rare  among  Christ's  disciples.  For  who 
can  say  with  longing  and  beseeching  heart,  'Come, 
Lord  Jesus;  and  come  quickly/  and  anticipate  with 
a  glow  of  pleasure  and  with  assurance  of  prepared- 
ness for  the  meeting  that  He  will  actually  arrive  on 


154  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

a  known  day,  except  he  be  an  ardent  lover  and 
devotee  of  that  same  great  Lord?  Therefore,  if  they 
make  a  mistake  as  to  the  time  of  His  back-coming,  it 
is  but  the  mistake  of  friends  'a  little  previous' 
through  over-eager  love  to  see  their  Beloved.  Which 
is  not  a  very  serious  matter  after  all  as  to  sub- 
stance. It  certainly  will  not  keep  Him  back  when  the 
fulness  of  time  has  come." 

"Dear  Dad,  as  you  say,  it  is  only  being  a  little 
premature;  and  while  it  is  disappointing  to  an  ex- 
pectant, and  an  indication  to  him  of  his  liability  to 
misapprehension  of  some  prophetic  scriptures,  it  does 
not  destroy  the  faith  and  hope  which  are  reposed  in 
his  Redeemer." 

"John,  I  would  much  rather,  if  I  must  err  in  some 
things,  make  a  mistake  with  regard  to  'times  and 
seasons'  than  to  be  of  those  who  have  plans  of  this 
world  to  carry  out  and  desire  that  the  Lord  will 
tarry.  It  is  a  sure  token  that  Jesus  has  second  place 
in  their  affections ;  and  He  tells  us  plainly  that  any- 
body who  loves  father,  mother,  wife,  children,  or 
anything  of  this  world  more  than  Himself  is  not 
worthy  of  Him — that  is,  of  His  discipleship ;  and  that 
He  will  finally  disown  them,  calling  them  strangers, 
unknown  to  Him  as  His.  I  love,  instead,  to  be  of  the 
number  who  look  for  redemption  in  Israel." 

"0,  dear  Dad,  I  confess  myself  a  believer  in  Christ, 
and  in  His  every  promise.  I  believe  that  He  who 
said:  'I  go  away,  and  come  again  unto  you;'  and 
'In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions,  .  .  I 
go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  And  if  I  go  and  pre- 
pare a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  again,  and  receive 
you  unto  Myself;  [in  order]  that  where  I  am,  there 
ye  may  be  also,'  will  really  come  back  as  He  said.  I 
trust  that  I,  even  I,  will  one  day  be  'received'  by 
Him — received  into  eternal  company  with  His  own 
dear  Self." 


The  Age  of  Covetousness  Come        155 

"And  such  also,  John,  I  affirm  of  myself  without 
shame  before  those  who  in  their  great  self -wisdom 
despise  and  pity  as  simpletons  and  credulous  men 
who  wait  for  their  Lord  from  heaven.  I  believe  the 
testimony  of  the  angels,  'This  same  Jesus  which  is 
taken  up  from  you  into  heaven  shall  so  come  in  like 
manner  as  ye  have  seen  Him  go  into  heaven/  Of 
course,  I  cannot  demonstrate  the  fact ;  it  will  not  be 
demonstrable  until  it  happens ;  and  then  its  demon- 
stration will  be  overwhelming  confusion  and  death  to 
those  who  believed  not  the  Lord's  words  nor  pre- 
pared themselves  to  meet  Him.  But  I  can  demon- 
strate, by  facts  of  history,  that  His  predictions  and 
promises,  the  time  of  their  fulfillment  having  arrived, 
have  been  fulfilled ;  and  hence,  that  His  word  is  true 
and  reliable.  And  on  His  veracity  as  proved  I  rest 
my  hope  and  expectation  of  His  glorious  Second  Ad- 
vent; with  all  that  it  means  of  deliverance  and 
beatitude  to  myself  and  to  all  believers." 

"Yes,  Dad,  that  is  the  foundation  that  will  never 
give  way — the  word  of  the  living  Christ.  Confess- 
ing to  God,  David  sang,  'Upon  Thy  word  hast  Thou 
caused  me  to  hope/  And  it  was  not  a  promise  mere- 
ly, but  a  promise  confirmed  by  an  oath — God  vows 
blessing  to  His  own.  Here  are  'two  immutable 
things :'  it  is  not  possible  for  God  to  lie.  And  Christ's 
promise  of  His  second  appearing,  unto  the  salvation 
of  those  who  look  for  Him,  is  equally  reliable." 

"Therefore,  John,  I  rejoice  to  be  of  the  company  of 
those  who  wait  for  redemption.  I  will  speak  to  you 
about  them.  They  are  the  real  heroes  of  the  world ; 
but  of  them,  their  presence,  their  life,  their  testi- 
mony, the  world  was  not  worthy.  Neither  is  the 
world  worthy  of  us.  Before  our  Lord  came  the  first 
time  many  prophecies  foretold  His  advent.  And  by 
Daniel  God  made  known  the  elapsing  time  until  the 
Messiah,  the  Prince,  would  appear.  We  read  it  in 


156  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

the  9th  chapter  of  Daniel.  (The  brazen  impudence  of 
the  critics  in  trying  to  invalidate  Daniel,  when  his 
prophecy  was  literally  fulfilled  in  history !  And  the 
absurdity  of  its  being  written  after  the  accomplish- 
ment, when  it  was  quoted  as  a  prediction  and  already 
in  existence  before  the  events  happened!)  Now,  in 
this  chapter  the  time  is  given  'unto  Messiah  the 
prince ;'  until  He  should  be  'cut  off,  but  not  for  Him- 
self ;'  until  the  coming  of  the  Roman  General;  until 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  etc.,  etc.  It  was  read 
and  understood  by  the  good ;  in  fact,  there  was  gen- 
eral expectation  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  I  will  mention 
two  individuals  especially,  Simeon  and  Joseph  of 
Arimathea.  Father  Simeon  was  a  man  in  close 
touch  with  God:  'the  same  man  was  just  and  devout, 
waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel/  One  day  he 
had  a  revelation  by  the  Holy  Spirit  'that  he  should 
not  see  death  before  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Anointed' 
(Christ).  It  was  not  an  hallucination:  he  saw  the 
Desire  of  all  nations,  and  went  satisfied  to  bed,  to 
sleep  in  the  dust  of  the  earth  until  the  morning  of 
the  resurrection,  when  he  will  see  Him  again;  not 
then  as  a  sweet  Babe  but  as  the  Almighty  Deliverer 
from  the  grave  and  the  all-glorious  King.  The  other 
man  was  Joseph  the  councilman,  who  was  a  resident 
of  Arimathea.  He  was  'a  good  man  and  a  just;' 
'he  also  himself  waited  for  the  Kingdom  of  God.' 
These  godly  men  did  not  mistake ;  they  were  watch- 
ers and  expectants,  with  hearts  throbbing  for  the 
'salvation  with  eternal  glory.'  The  Messiah  has  come 
and  gone.  But  He  has  gone  leaving  behind  Him  a 
promise  that  He  will  return.  And  now  those  who 
are  intelligently  saved  are  'turned  to  God  .  .  to 
serve  the  living  and  true  God,  and  to  wait  for  His 
Son  from  heaven.'  It  is  an  'expectation  sweet.'  It  is 
many  times  referred  to  in  Holy  Scripture.  Blood- 
washed;  re-created  in  the  image  of  God;  diligent, 


The  Age  of  Covetousness  Come        157 

always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  we  are 
watchers  for  the  returning  Saviour  with  greater  de- 
sire than  the  tired  watchman  who  watches  for  day- 
break— the  morning.  'Our  citizenship/  said  Paul  to 
the  Philippians,  'is  in  heaven;  from  whence  also  we 
look  for  the  Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ/  'Once, 
in  the  end  of  the  age,  hath  He  appeared  to  put  away 
sin  .  .  but  now  unto  them  that  look  for  Him  shall 
He  appear  the  second  time,  without  sin  [an  offering 
for  sin]  unto  salvation/  'Behold  He  cometh  with 
clouds/  "Blessed  are  all  they  that  wait  for  Him/  I 
could  fill  hours  with  the  testimony  of  His  glorious 
appearing  for  the  renovation  of  the  world.  My  heart 
leaps  at  the  prospect !" 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  the  stauncher  of  our  bleeding 
hearts,  suffering  from  sin !  0,  what  consolation  will 
He  bring  us  at  His  bright  appearing!  0  how  I 
should  like  to  see  Him  just  now!  Not  to-morrow; 
to-day.  Not  in  an  hour ;  this  minute !  Dear  Dad,  we 
should  never  have  another  grief;  never  again  be 
tried  and  suffer !  After  the  clearing-up  storm  would 
appear  the  clear  shining  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness. 
What  a  hope  is  ours :  seeing  Jesus  and  being  like  Him 
and  with  Him.  'We  know  that  when  He  shall  appear 
we  shall  be  like  Him.'  There  are  substitute  theories 
of  the  progression  of  the  human  race ;  but  they  are 
no  part  of  the  Gospel.  They  are  not  its  hope.  'The 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself  is  our  hope ;'  'The  ap- 
pearing of  the  glory  of  the  great  God  and  of  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ/  I  am  Old  Orthodox  and  Old 
Believer ;  not  ecclesiastically,  but  vitally.  Blessed  is 
the  King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  Jehovah !" 

"Dear  John,  I  am  not  amazed  that  you  are  so  rapt 
with  that  crowning  happiness,  Jesus  Christ  back 
again  to  take  us  to  His  own  side  to  be  with  Him  for- 
ever !  The  healed  man  desired  of  old  'that  he  might 
be  with  Him/  Jesus — remain  in  His  company.  He 


158  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

thought  so  much  of  being  with  his  kind  Saviour. 
And  it  was  a  great  privilege  and  continual  blessing. 
But  0  what  is  that  to  being  with  Him  in  the  Regen- 
eration, 'all  glory  through  and  through/  as  the  hym- 
nist  says.  Well,  I  may  not  tarry  because  my  work 
remains  yet  to  be  done.  He  who  gave  us  promise  of 
return  was  pleased  also  to  give  us  intimations  when 
we  might  expect  Him,  yea,  be  confident  of  His  near- 
ness. Was  not  that  kind  of  Him?  It  says  to  me  that 
His  return  is  not  a  figurative  expression,  but  a  real- 
ity. For  there  can  be  no  sign  of  the  approach  of 
what  is  figurative.  Realities  were  to  be  harbingers 
of  The  Reality.  Events  of  the  Great  Event.  Be- 
lievers differ  as  to  the  one  great  'far-off  Divine 
event/  It  is  not  at  such  a  distance  as  the  poet 
dreams.  It  is  a  near  Divine  event.  I  believe  it  is  at 
the  door.  I  will  not  dogmatize;  but  will  present 
reasons.  My  work  is  to  show  that  present  world- 
conditions  are  bells  ringing  in  the  day  of  God !" 

"But,  Dad,  do  you  not  know  that  those  who  have 
not  the  blessed  hope  of  the  glory-crowned  Saviour 
returning  as  He  said,  and  who  have  no  need  of  His 
return  in  their  plan  of  salvation  and  doctrine  of  last 
things,  quote  Himself  as  declaring  that  nobody  can 
know  when  He  will  return?  They  point  to  the  pas- 
sage, 'But  of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth  no 
man,  no,  not  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven,  neither 
the  Son,  but  the  Father  (only)/  " 

"Yes,  John,  I  know  it;  and  I  know  with  what  an 
air  of  trumph  they  quote  it.  It  seems  also  to  me 
it  is  repeated  with  a  kind  of  relief  (relieved  feeling) 
from  some  portentous  event,  some  fateful  horror — 
(portentous,  foreboding  or  fearful  fact) .  It  is  not 
that,  but  a  hope;  our  Lord's  Second  Advent  is  cheer- 
ful and  cheering.  I  grant  it  is  not  so  to  the  wicked. 
The  passage  is  cited  really  to  convey  the  impression 
that  no  knowledge  whatsoever  can  be  gotten  of  Jesus' 


The  Age  of  Covetousness  Come        159 

Second  Coming ;  that  it  is  a  great  secret  about  which 
nothing  has  been  said — no  revelation  made;  which, 
of  course,  is  false,  and  is  only  advanced  by  those  who 
know  not  their  Bible." 

"Dad,  that  is  one  of  the  two  reasons  given  by  Jesus 
to  the  Sadducees :  'Ye  do  err/  said  He,  'not  knowing 
the  scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God.'  He  might, 
though,  have  meant,  not  understanding  the  scrip- 
tures, their  signification ;  for  surely  they  must  have 
known  the  words.  But  many  do  not  even  know  the 
passages,  the  words,  of  Holy  Writ  about  the  'signs' 
of  Christ's  coming  and  of  the  end  of  the  age." 

"Dear  John,  people  should  love  and  read  their 
Bible;  then  they  would  find  that  it  does  speak  of 
future  events.  Scripture  commands:  'Exhort  one 
another ;  and  so  much  the  more  as  ye  see  the  day  ap- 
proaching/ There  are  many  scriptures  that  tell  us 
of  events  that  will  immediately  precede  the  day  of 
the  Lord  and  give  the  world  warning  and  believers 
joy  that  the  time  is  at  hand  and  that  Christ  is  at  the 
door.  To  understand  these  aright  and  correctly  ap- 
ply them,  or  find  their  counterparts,  is  the  more 
difficult,  but  not  impossible  task;  and  in  doing  this 
mistakes  have  been  made.  But  must  mistakes  ever 
be  made,  of  necessity?  The  answer  'Yes'  is  not  war- 
ranted. Certainly,  not  by  the  text  quoted.  And  as 
certainly  it  is  not  evident  that  Christ's  remark  is 
meant  to  be  applicable  to  all  subsequent  probationary 
time.  Careless  reading,  and  reading  by  those  who 
have  no  portion  and  hence  no  participal  interest  in 
the  coming  redemption,  make  it :  'Of  that  day  and 
that  hour  no  man  will  ever  know.'  Does  it  say  it?  It 
does  not.  It  says,  'knoweth,'  present  tense;  at  the 
time  when  the  words  were  spoken.  That  was  true 
then,  or  Jesus  would  not  have  said  it.  Observe,  it 
is  said,  even  Christ  himself  was  ignorant  at  that  time 
of  the  day  of  His  return!  Does  He  not  know  now? 


160  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

Do  we  not  read,  'The  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  God  gave  unto  Him/  in  the  opening  of  The 
Apocalypse?  In  that  'revelation/  a  revelation  of 
'things  which  shall  be  hereafter/  there  are  a  num- 
ber of  allusions  to  times.  Was  Jesus  ignorant  of 
what  He  was  talking  about?  Does  He  not  know 
to-day?  Of  course,  He  does!  'Knoweth'  is  present 
tense:  He  did  not  know  then;  nor  did  the  angels, 
nor  any  human  being ;  but  only  God.  I  make  no  as- 
sertion as  to  what  may  be  revealed  in  the  last  hours 
of  this  age  to  beloved  waiting  saints.  It  is  not  im- 
possible, nor  to  me  personally  unbelievable,  that  an 
angel  might  be  sent  to  one  here  and  another  there,  to 
say,  '0,  man,  greatly  beloved,  I  am  sent  to  tell  thee, 
thou  shalt  never  see  death!  Behold,  the  Lord  will 
appear  to-morrow !'  or  'to-day !'  or  'in  an  hour !'  I  do 
not  wish  to  labor  the  point  further.  My  object  is 
not  argumentation." 

"Dad,  an  hour  before  Simeon  received  intimation 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  that  he  should  not  die  without 
seeing  Jesus  the  same  might  have  been  said  of  him ; 
but  an  hour  later  it  was  different.  And  I  really 
think,  when  a  man  says,  'Nobody  knows  anything 
about  the  proximity  of  the  Second  Advent/  he  should 
say,  7  do  not  know  /  for  he  cannot  speak  for  every- 
body. All  he  can  speak  for  is  himself." 

"That  is  true,  John.  And  it  is  a  fact  that  there 
are  many  scriptures  that  speak  of  events  that  were 
to  serve  as  signs  and  premonitions  of  Him  and  of  His 
royal  entry  into  His  Kingdom.  If  we  can  find  them, 
we  know  our  whereabouts.  What  are  they?  Can 
we  find  them  ?  Closer  question,  Are  they  here  ?  And 
here  we  reach  a  climax.  Interest  becomes  absorb- 
ing! I  make  confession,  I  not  only  believe  the  good 
news  of  the  coming  of  Jesus  a  second  time;  I  also 
believe  in  the  signs  of  that  coming.  This  is  no 
fanaticism.  It  is  simply  prediction,  foretelling ;  and 


The  Age  of  Covetousness  Come        161 

with  me  it  is  but  identification — This  is  that!'  I 
have  the  profoundest  conviction  that  we  have  arrived 
at  the  period  called  variously  'the  last  times/  'the  last 
days/  'the  latter  time/  'the  end  of  the  days/  'the 
end  of  the  age/  etc.  If  that  perception  is  not  an 
illusion,  then  the  present  breakdown  of  the  world, 
the  break-up  of  its  foundations,  says — says  distinct- 
ly and  with  thunder  tones — 'The  day  is  almost  here ! 
The  heavens  will  soon  reveal  the  Son  of  God !'  This 
is  literalism.  What  a  prejudice  there  is  against 
literalism !  It  is  unreasonable.  Our  Gospel  is  a  fact- 
founded  Gospel.  Its  dogmas  are  literalisms.  Real 
angels  ushering  into  the  world  a  real  baby  King.  A 
real  mother,  Mary.  Real  people  preached  to  and 
healed.  A  real  cross  and  a  real  death,  upon  Calvary. 
A  real  resurrection,  ascension  and  glorification.  A 
real  coming  advent  of  'this  same  Jesus/  A  real  puri- 
fication of  the  earth.  A  real  subjection  to  God's 
will  by  all  its  inhabitants,  as  there  is  real  obedience 
in  heaven.  All  is  literal — real.  Nothing  is  fog,  or 
vision,  or  dream,  or  figure ;  all  is  reality.  The  signs 
predicted  are  realities — objective  realities." 

"Dad,  it  must  be  that  the  signs  are  real ;  it  must  be 
that  they  can  be  observed  with  the  eyes,  that  they 
are  tangible  to  the  senses.  Some  may  say,  'It  is  a 
sensuous  religion  /  I  would  reply,  'Nay,  it  is  a  sensi- 
ble one!'" 

"Dear  John,  it  would  take  a  long  time  to  enumer- 
ate all  the  signs  given  us  of  the  great  Second  Advent. 
I  will  take  up  but  two  of  them.  I  wish  it  were  possi- 
ble to  mention  them  all.  Maybe  I  shall  be  divinely 
privileged  to  talk  more  comprehensively  on  this  sub- 
ject some  day.  The  two  'signs'  I  will  speak  of  as  in- 
dicating that  we  are  in  the  last  days  shall  have  to  do 
with  economics.  They  are  covetousness  and  self- 
love." 

"Dad,  I  wish  you  could  tell  us  all  the  signs  given 


162  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

us  from  above  of  the  consummation  of  the  age  and  of 
the  coming  of  our  Lord.  I  think  at  times  of  the  good- 
ness of  God  in  revealing  these  matters.  He  has  not 
given  us  His  own  personal  perfection  of  foreknowl- 
edge or  knowledge  of  all  things  before  they  happen ; 
but  He  has  given  us  the  benefit  of  that  foreknowledge 
by  making  known  to  us  the  things  in  which  we  are 
most  vitally  interested,  the  dangers  we  shall  meet, 
and  the  events  that  will  announce  deliverance ;  thus 
practically,  so  far  as  these  experiences  are  con- 
cerned, placing  us  on  the  same  plane  as  Himself." 

"Yes,  dear  son,  prophecy  is  God's  foreknowledge 
speaking  for  our  information  and  warning.  Now  I 
am  to  discourse  to  you  of  Covetousness  as  a  Sign  of 
the  Last  Days — which,  of  course,  will  bring  us  to  the 
end.  But  the  end  is  also  a  beginning.  As  in  gradu- 
ating, Commencement  Day  is  the  end  of  school  life 
and  the  beginning  of  an  industrial  career.  Scripture 
says:  'In  the  last  days,  perilous  times  shall  come, 
for  men  shall  be  .  .  covetous/  'Men  shall  be 
covetous/  God  says  this  shall  be  a  token  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  end  of  the  age,  which  brings  the  harvest 
of  the  world.  Tor  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the 
glory  of  His  Father,  with  His  angels,  and  then  He 
shall  reward  every  man  according  to  his  works/  It 
is  not  everybody  who  knows  that  the  covetousness 
that  is  the  source  of  the  world's  present  unhappy  in- 
dustrial conditions  is  a  foretold  'sign*  of  the  ending 
of  the  bad  man's  rule ;  but  it  is.  And  now  to  speak 
of  covetousness  as  the  spirit  that  rules  the  world  of 
to-day.  It  is  the  chief,  the  dominating  trait  of  a  gen- 
eration that  stamps  the  character  of  that  generation. 
Those  features  which  are  common  or  subordinate 
are  not  distinguishing.  Men  have  always  been  covet- 
ous. They  have  desired  the  goods  of  others.  Through 
covetousness  they  have  seized  what  was  not  their 
own.  There  has  also  been  here  and  there  a  man  of 


The  Age  of  Covetousness  Come        163 

more  than  ordinary  greed.  But  one  or  two  men  do 
not  make  the  character  of  a  people,  or  the  world.  I 
understand  that  the  prophecy  is,  that  'men/  in  the 
great  wide  use  of  the  term,  men  generally,  would  be 
covetous  in  the  end  of  the  age." 

"Dear  Dad,  that  too  is  my  understanding.  I  do 
not  think  it  means  a  man  here  and  another  there, 
when  it  says  'men/  without  limitation." 

"Well,  now,  John,  two  things  make  for  the  devel- 
opment of  an  extraordinary  desire  for  gain.  The 
first  is  Chance;  the  second,  Means.  Both  these  are 
now  present.  Chance,  or  opportunity:  in  the  past, 
the  common  people  did  not  have  the  chance ;  and  so, 
lacking  opportunity  for  gaining  of  wealth,  they  were 
generally  content  with  a  living,  or  a  little  more. 
Some  measure  of  covetousness  they  had,  but  condi- 
tions and  environment  were  not  favorable  to  its 
growth.  But  to-day  all  is  changed.  Grabbing, 
plunging,  speculating,  with  prospect  of  a  fortune,  is 
open  to  all;  and  the  greedy  and  unscrupulous  avail 
themselves  of  the  chance  to  make — make  as  before  it 
was  impossible  to  make.  But  it  takes  something  be- 
sides Chance;  one  must  have  Means.  A  man  says: 
'If  I  had  a  thousand  dollars  I  could  make  ten  thou- 
sand.' Another  remarks :  'I  know  how  by  investing 
a  small  amount  to  increase  it  a  hundredfold/  He 
must  have  that  little  first  capital ;  that  essential  small 
amount.  He  must  have  that  particular  down-to-date 
machine  to  multiply  production.  Before,  it  was  not 
easy  to  get  the  first  money;  the  machine  had  not 
been  invented.  It  is  all  changed  now.  A  moderate 
amount  can  be  raised — saved  or  borrowed ;  the  auto- 
matic machine,  with  everything  but  brains,  is  ready 
to  be  operated.  Then,  the  chance  to  get  and  exploit 
the  common  patrimony,  and  men  to  work  subordi- 
nately  to  the  greedy  man's  will,  for  his  personal  gain, 
are  here.  As  to  the  domain,  with  its  surface  treas- 


164  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

ures  and  the  wealth  stored  in  its  bowels,  some  have 
'got  wise*  about  it;  they  know  how  quietly  to  act  to 
get  these  valuables  in  their  own  names,  although  no- 
body has  right  to  give  them  ownership.  And  as  to 
men — they  loiter  around  in  groups  with  nothing  to 
do;  and  a  crust,  and  anything  more  the  landshark 
may  be  pleased  of  his  benevolence  ( ?)  to  add  to  it, 
they  are,  for  their  necessities'  sake,  obliged  to  take ; 
for  no  man  willingly  starves.  And  so,  with  chance 
and  means,  the  world,  and  particularly  the  United 
States,  which  is  known  everywhere  as  the  most 
money-loving  and  greedy  nation  upon  earth,  be- 
comes notably,  monumentally  covetous.  Covetous- 
ness  finds  congenial  soil,  soil  with  all  the  elements 
for  sustenance  in  it;  and  the  little  slip  that  was  be- 
comes a  great  and  overshadowing  tree." 

"It  is  a  solemn  fact,  Dad,  that  the  man  most 
worm-eaten  with  covetousness  began  his  bad  life 
with  a  small  first  desire  and  first  act." 

"One  thing  only  is  necessary  with  chance  and 
means  and  that  is  will — will  to  be  rich.  Given  will 
with  these,  and  a  human  being  becomes  with  time  a 
greedy  dog,  who  can  never  have  enough.  Now  as  to 
propensity,  it  is  in  men,  and  need  but  to  be  excited 
into  action.  If  a  man  has  not  admitted  to  his  heart 
a  higher  and  nobler  Will — the  Will  that  moves  to 
helpfulness  instead  of  harmfulness;  if  he  has  not 
been  converted  to  benevolence,  and  thus  become 
really  a  good-wilier  toward  others  and  devoted  to  the 
service  of  the  world,  his  will  will  fit  into  and  be 
fostered  by  the  favorable  conditions  for  accumulat- 
ing, and  greedy  desire  will  become  active.  It  will 
surely  determine  for  gain.  Justice,  scruples  will  be 
set  aside.  It  will  satisfy  self  with  the  thought: 
'After  I  have  gained  I  shall  be  generous ;  I  shall  help 
the  poor.'  He  does  not  say,  'The  man  I  have  indirect- 
ly made  or  helped  to  make  poor/  Nay,  he  even  re- 


The  Age  of  Covetousness  Come        165 

gards  himself  as  a  very  useful  ( ?)  citizen,  arguing 
that  he  has  given  men  work  by  his  enterprise !  That 
ought  to  be  enough  to  satisfy  any  perverted  mind; 
and  it  generally  is  satisfactory  to  the  public  plun- 
derer." 

"Amazing,  Dad,  that  such  men  can  quiet  the  in- 
ward accuser,  and  even  turn  it  into  an  approver." 

"But  now,  here  is  my  point,  John — and  it  is  liter- 
ally and  irrefutably  true — that  we  have  arrived  at 
the  Age  of  Covetousness.  There  have  been  other 
ages — of  tyranny,  debauchery,  superstition :  ours  is 
the  age  of  greed,  of  Covetousness.  It  is  the  great 
frontal  trait  of  the  world.  Everywhere  men  are 
eager  and  restless  to  accumulate  wealth.  The  laws 
help  them.  Society  often  condones  their  crimes  in 
doing  it.  The  subdivision  of  large  estates  into  small 
holdings  enables  acquisition.  Easy  terms  of  pay- 
ment draw  them  on  in  accumulation.  Think  of  the 
millionaires  in  America  to-day !  Once,  to  be  a  mil- 
lionaire was  to  be  a  very  rich  man.  Now,  it  is  only 
to  be  moderately  wealthy.  Tens  and  hundreds  of 
millions  is  the  rule.  In  fact,  the  newspapers  have 
announced  a  billionaire.  Think  of  it !  Let  me  write 
it  down.  Look  at  it,  John,  $1,000,000,000.  The  sum 
is  inconceivable.  'Rich  and  damned/  is  generally  the 
true  combination.  There  will  be  a  good  many  pluto- 
crats as  fuel  for  hell  fire." 

"How  wrong,  how  wrong  it  all  is,  dear  Dad.  The 
masses  undergoing  such  torture  to  live;  and  these 
men  with  'money  to  burn.'  " 

'  'In  the  last  days  men  shall  be  covetous/  It  is 
true  to-day;  IT  NEVER  CAN  BE  MORE  TRUE!  Except 
that  additional  names  may  be  written  of  the  exces- 
sively rich.  Why  do  I  say,  the  prediction  can  never 
have  a  greater  fulfilment — that  it  is  now  distended 
to  its  fullest  possible  size?  Because,  hear  it!  every- 
thing has  been  seized  by  the  greedy  that  is  capable  of 


166  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

being  transmuted  into  wealth !  Nothing  more  is  left 
to  be  desired !  I  do  not  mean  no  more  vacant  spaces, 
town  lots,  acreages,  etc. ;  but  every  article  of  produc- 
tion. All  is  monopolized  and  monetized.  Forests 
and  all  products  of  the  earth's  surface;  water,  gas, 
oil  and  everything  else  that  is  below  the  surface. 
John,  do  you  know  one — only  one — more  thing  that 
the  hands  of  greed  has  not  seized — taken,  to  work 
dishonestly?  Covetousness,  injustice  is  busy  with 
everything!  It  is  size,  not  peculiarity,  that  makes 
present  covetousness  so  observable,  and  a  'sign*  of 
the  closing  days  of  the  present  age.  It  is  a  novelty 
because  it  is  a  Colossus!  The  world  revels  and 
grovels  in  greed.  One  has  almost  to  take  a  pickax 
to  pry  a  little  of  the  yellow  stuff  out  of  men  for 
a  poor  brother's  assistance,  it  is  so  imbedded  in  their 
hearts.  Men  love  money — the  money  they  so  covet- 
ously acquired.  Can  it  be  doubted  that  we  live  in  a 
supremely  covetous  age?  One  may  say,  'Well,  men 
would  have  been  just  as  covetous  centuries  ago  if 
they  had  had  the  same  environment  and  temptations 
as  those  of  to-day.'  Doubtless  that  is  true ;  but  they 
hadn't!  Hence  it  is  reserved  to  us  now  alive  to  be 
living  in  the  Age  of  Covetousness.  I  cannot  enumer- 
ate the  signs  of  present-day  covetousness.  0  that 
somebody  with  time,  information  and  ability  to 
present  the  -facts  would  write  a  book,  and  let  us  see 
at  one  view  what  a  covetously  wicked  age  we  live  in, 
that  we  may  hate  it  and  clear  ourselves  of  its  de- 
pravation ;  and  especially  that  all  may  have  the  con- 
viction that  'this  is  that'  which  the  Holy  Spirit  warns 
of  as  a  'sign'  that  we  are  in  the  closing  days  of  the 
present  order.  How  long  God  will  allow  this  sign  to 
remain  before  the  eyes  of  men  He  only  knows,  but 
it  is  very  risky  under  the  circumstances  to  defer  re- 
pentance for  even  a  day;  and  repentance  must  in- 


The  Age  of  Covetousness  Come       167 

elude,  as  a  principal  part  of  it,  a  break  with  this 
awful  covetousness." 

"Repentance,  surely,  dear  Dad,  is  not  complete 
that  turns  not  away  from  covetousness." 

"John,  we  have  been  long  in  conference,  but  I  must 
just  mention  two  very  striking  objects  that  are  pure 
covetousness.  One  is  the  many  subsidiary  companies 
of  the  great  exploitive  business  concerns.  The  other, 
the  present-day  department  stores.  Delvers  into  the 
earth,  borers  for  oil  and  gas,  for  instance,  are  not 
content  to  extract  these  commodities  from  mother 
earth ;  they  must  also  have  side  businesses  to  supply 
all  their  needs,  and  thus  monopolize  the  living  of 
thousands.  They  would  let  nobody  live  and  make 
profit  but  themselves.  And  the  department  stores — 
they  try  my  patience  almost  to  the  losing  of  it.  These 
great  emporiums  are  the  last  word  that  can  be  said 
on  greed.  I  remember  when  storekeepers  used  to 
carry  one  or  two  lines  of  goods.  They  made  a  com- 
fortable living,  raising  their  families  in  respectabil- 
ity. But  these  merchants  have  nearly  disappeared, 
crushed  out,  gobbled  up  by  the  miserably  covetous 
department-store  proprietor,  who  runs  all  the  busi- 
nesses both  of  sales  and  manufacture.  He  even 
caters  to  the  stomachs  of  the  people !  He  sells  cloth- 
ing, furniture,  hardware,  musical  instruments,  sew- 
ing machines,  art  goods,  stoves,  chinaware,  cutlery, 
kitchen  utensils,  stationery,  books,  periodicals,  hair 
goods,  bedding,  automobiles,  groceries,  and  a  hun- 
dred other  things.  He  carries  on  the  businesses  of 
printer,  hair  dresser,  manicurist,  optician,  and  I 
know  not  what  besides.  He  will  take  orders  for 
what  he  has  not  in  stock  and  does  not  make.  Such 
an  all-devouring  monster  is  a  fit  representative  of 
this  age,  harmful  and  cursed  above  all  ages,  the  Age 
of  Covetousness ;  which  God  declares  a  peril  to  man 
and  a  sign  of  the  end  of  this  world  and  the  return 


168  The  New  Christian  System  of  Tiiving 

of  the  blessed  Christ.  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  to 
self-love  and  all  the  rest  of  the  signs:  is  not  one 
enough  to  establish  the  truth  of  the  wind-up  of 
present  affairs?" 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Selfishness  and  Ferocity  as  Signs  of 
the  End 


"JOHN,  let  us  consider  again  existing  evil  condi- 
tions as  an  indication  of  the  approach  of  the  end  and 
of  better  times  beyond,  for  although  life's  experi- 
ences are  so  bad  there  is  a  good  time  coming.  This 
is  hoped  for  vaguely  by  thousands  who  reason  that 
the  sky  is  brightening  and  that  sooner  or  later  the 
last  cloud  will  be  gone.  But  you  and  I  have  a  surer 
foundation  for  our  vision  of  coming  good.  We  rest 
not  in  our  wish  to  have  it  so ;  nor  in  appearances  of 
progress,  which  I  personally  think  assure  no  wholly 
benevolent  era,  in  which  alone  is  satisfaction. 
Neither  desire  nor  reason  is  our  position;  but  that 
word  of  revelation,  that  word  of  God  which  says, 
'As  truly  as  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  the  whole  earth 
shall  be  filled  with  My  glory/  Hence  we  entertain 
more  than  vision;  we  have  hope,  which  is  personal 
assurance.  We  live  in  expectation  of  the  better  day ; 
and,  of  course,  enjoyment  of  its  blessedness.  Now 
this  I  say,  there  is  revealed  conditions,  states  where- 
by when  they  come  we  know  that  the  last  lap  of  our 
earthly  race  has  been  begun  and  the  goal  is  near." 

"Dear  Dad,  that  is  very  comforting  to  one  in  the 
midst  of  trials  and  sufferings.  It  calls  to  my  mind 
the  words  of  the  poet-founder  of  Methodism : 

'Whatever  ills  the  world  befall, 
A  pledge  of  endless  good  we  call, 
A  sign  of  Jesus  near/  " 


170  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

Will  you  please  name  some  of  the  tokens  that 
presage  good  for  us  who  serve  the  Lord  Christ  and 
wait  His  appearing,  knowing  by  such  tokens  that 
redemption  draws  near.  (Tresage:  to  indicate  by 
some  present  fact  what  is  to  follow,  or  come  to 
pass/ — Dictionary.)  It  will  make  us  patient  in  trib- 
ulation as  we  abound  in  hope." 

"That  is  what  I  had  in  mind  to  do,  John.  I  thought 
to  show  you  how  phenomenally  selfish  the  world  is 
at  present  and  its  unawareness  that  this  is  a  sure 
sign  of  the  consummation  of  the  age  and  the  begin- 
ning of  a  new  one.  Also  I  desire  to  make  you  feel 
that  the  unexampled  ferocity  of  men  that  now  pre- 
vails is  another  voice  proclaiming  'Behold,  the  Lord 
cometh  out  of  His  place' ;  'Behold,  He  cometh  that  is 
to  come !'  Do  you  reniember  what  is  said  with  regard 
to  that?  'In  the  last  days  perilous  times  shall  come; 
for  men  shall  .  .  fierce;'  and  that  they  are  now  as 
fierce  as  wild  beasts,  yea,  fiercer  than  the  fiercest, 
there  can  be  no  gainsaying.  But  I  shall  return  to 
that  later." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  sometimes  charged  that  believers 
in  the  nearness  of  Christ's  Second  Advent  draw  upon 
their  imagination,  basing  their  faith  upon  their  de- 
sire instead  of  upon  facts ;  but  surely  you  are  point- 
me  to  facts— to  conditions,  to  happenings  that  every- 
body can  see,  even  the  skeptical  who  discard  religion 
altogether.  But,  Dad,  is  not  the  phrase  'the  last 
days'  a  very  elastic  expression,  too  general  to  be 
pinned  down  or  confined  to  one  short  period  of 
time?" 

"Dear  John,  the  'last  days'  do  indeed  cover  a  long 
period.  They  embrace  the  whole  Gospel  dispensa- 
tion— the  'Christian  era/  as  it  is  called,  although  it  is 
very  wwchristian.  You  see,  the  last  dealings  of  God 
with  the  world  in  its  fallen  state  is  prophesied  to 
end  with  the  Messiah.  He  was  to  be  crucified,  rise 


Selfishness  and  Ferocity  of  Men       171 

again,  be  proclaimed  throughout  the  earth  as  Lord, 
and  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  coming  upon  the  earth 
was  to  be  announced  to  every  nation  under  heaven. 
This  was  to  be  the  last  period.  There  was  the  Crea- 
tion period,  the  Patriarchal,  the  dispensations  of  the 
Law  and  of  the  Prophets.  John  the  Baptist  was  the 
end  of  the  latter :  'the  Law  and  the  Prophets/  said 
Christ,  'were  until  John.'  Then  there  comes  this  sig- 
nificant sentence,  indicative  of  a  change,  'since  then 
the  Kingdom  of  God  is  preached  and  all  men  presseth 
into  it' — by  faith;  to  become  the  subjects  of  the 
Lord  and  enjoy  the  blessings  of  His  righteous  rule 
now  as  they  individually  yield  to  His  sway ;  and  an- 
ticipatively  to  enter  into  His  glorious  Kingdom  when 
it  shall  be  manifested :  this  by  hope.  Now,  John,  this 
peculiar  age  had  its  opening  days  and  will  have  its 
closing  period — its  last  days.  Surely,  those  are  its 
very  last  days  when,  like  the  cumulus  of  the  sky,  the 
signs  mass  themselves  and  demand  the  world's  atten- 
tion with  imperious  insistance.  And  that  is  the  case 
to-day!  It  is  my  'say  so'  because  it  is  a  visible  fact. 
Lift  up  your  eyes  and  see  how  all  things  are  ripe  unto 
harvest.  There  have  been  seasons  of  growing  when 
they  were  small  and  unripe;  to-day  they  are  large 
and  filled  out  with  their  particular  contents.  Where- 
by a  rational  certainty  is  established  that  the  end  of 
all  these  things,  the  things  of  the  'now,'  impends. 
Mark,  I  say  'these  things.'  There  comes  a  disrup- 
tion for  a  reconstruction.  Ruin  is  not  the  end." 

"I  am  glad,  dear  Dad,  that  destruction  is  not  the 
ultimate.  I  understand  that  destruction  will  be  the 
truth  in  regard  to  those  who  have  sown  wickedness ; 
but  there  are  the  abiders  in  the  day  of  judgment. 
We  read,  'He  that  doeth  the  will  of  God  abideth 
forever.'  'No  evil  shall  come  nigh  thee;  only  with 
thine  eyes  shall  thou  behold  and  see  the  reward  of 
the  wicked.' " 


172  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"Well  now,  John,  I  must  talk  to  you  about  the 
'danger*  of  living  in  the  world  today.  Men  talk  of 
our  advantages  and  privileges;  and  indeed  we  have 
them,  and  thank  God  for  them;  but  the  Bible  says, 
also  that  our  life,  the  life  of  those  who  will  be  alive 
in  the  last  days,  will  be  full  of  danger.  Please  re- 
member, danger!  There  are  rocks  as  we  near  shore. 
Between  them  run  channels  which  we  have  to  thread 
ere  we  tie  up  at  the  wharf.  Navigation  will  be  dif- 
ficult. It  is  possible  to  go  upon  some  exposed  or 
hidden  reef.  But,  thank  God,  the  rocks  are  charted ! 
They  are  named !  Standing  by  the  wheel  and  looking 
at  our  compass  the  broken  land-line  has  really  no 
terrors  for  us.  Still  we  must  never  be  careless ;  but 
remaining  at  our  post  must  pilot  our  ship  as  though 
our  life  depended  upon  it— as  practically  it  does. 
Well,  John,  one  of  the  charted  rocks,  one  of  the  signs 
of  the  last  days,  is  universal  selfishness.  'In  the  last 
days  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their  own  selves.'  It 
must  be  selfishness  of  prodigious,  unprecedented  pro- 
portions to  become  to  us  a  sign — an  ar restive  object 
and  herald  of  the  King.  It  must  be  a  mountainous 
peak.  And  it  is.  This  is  the  day  of  danger  from  self- 
ishness. In  extent  world-wide;  in  density  as  the 
darkness  of  Egypt  that  could  be  felt.  Why,  only  in 
my  lifetime  I  have  seen  it  grow  amazingly.  Do  not 
believe  it,  John,  that  the  world  is  less  selfish  than  it 
was  say  sixty  years  ago ;  it  is  the  other  way.  There 
are  more  selfish  people  today  than  there  has  ever 
been  and  their  selfishness  is  greater.  In  my  mem- 
ory some  things  that  now  evoke  no  remonstrance  but 
are  let  pass  as  'the  common  thing'  ('they  all  do  it'), 
would  have  been  such  shame  to  a  man  in  his  home- 
town that  he  would  have  felt  it  as  he  walked  the 
streets,  conscious  that  the  faces  of  fellow-citizens 
were  averted  from  him." 

"What  you  say  is  true,  Dad ;  selfish  men  now  have 


Selfishness  and  Ferocity  of  Men       173 

outgrown  blushing  or  being  ashamed,  and  Society 
makes  no  protest.  Except  that  here  and  there  a  poor 
pinched  individual  who  has  been  squeezed  to  death 
with  his  expiring  breath  appeals  to  deaf  and  bowel- 
less  men  for  pity  and  help.  It  is  written,  The  meek 
shall  inherit  the  earth';  that  is  surely  yet  future; 
for  now  the  strong,  the  selfish  man  has  it-— is  getting 
it  all.  Adding  house  to  house  and  field  to  field  'till 
there  be  no  room/  Think  of  it !" 

"Dear  John,  it  is  frightful !  We  enter  the  world  as 
babes  without  right  to  occupy  a  foot  of  it ;  it  has  pre- 
viously been  pre-emptied  by  the  selfish.  We  have  to 
pay  a  large  price  for  a  little  bit  of  it  situate  in  a 
desirable  location  as  a  site  for  a  house  to  live  in — 
plunder,  demanded  of  us  by  the  selfish.  Throughout 
our  whole  life  we  must  toil  and  sweat  to  enrich  the 
men  who  corner  everything — in  selfishness.  When 
we  are  old  we  have  nothing ;  what  we  have  made  has 
been  taken  from  us — by  the  selfish.  Damn  selfish- 
ness! 'Profanity !'  My  little  finger  shall  be  as  my 
thigh:  a  million  curses  upon  that  evil  thing  selfish- 
ishness.  I  know  it  to  be  all  rottenness,  all  villainy, 
all  heartlessness.  Bali !  to  the  man  who  is  squeamish 
over  the  propriety  of  an  epithet  used  to  the  vile! 
who  stands  by  and  sees  his  brother  set  upon  by 
thieves  without  opening  his  mouth  or  helping  the 
defenceless !  He  is  as  bad  as  the  bandit  who  holds  up 
his  victim!  Such  crimes  as  are  committed  daily,  if 
the  preachers  and  church  members  were  worth  a 
pinch  of  salt,  would  arouse  them  to  flashing  indig- 
nation! And  there  would  be  more  to  it  than  that! 
And  the  wronged  would  feel  that  religion,  professed, 
had  content  to  it.  As  it  is,  the  despoiled  turn  away 
with  heartache  and  feelings  of  antipathy  to  Chris- 
tianity. Why  this  indifference?  Many  who  form- 
ally are  godly  are  themselves  selfish.  Woe  to  the 
man  who  is  himself  God's  sign,  God's  flag,  held  out  to 


174  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

the  world  that  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  is  approach- 
ing! 'Men  shall  be  lovers  of  their  own  selves': 
selfishness  is  the  tap-root,  as  it  is  the  cap,  of  present 
social  and  industrial  miseries  and  sorrows." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  agree  with  you,  nothing  too  bad  can 
be  said  of  selfishness.  It  is  inconceivable,  before  it 
happens,  what  can  be  done  of  rascality  and  brutish- 
ness  by  a  man  actuated  by  selfishness.  Looking  after 
himself  he  is  lost  to  all  fairness,  feeling,  honor.  And 
alas !  'the  woods  are  full  of  them/  " 

"Yes,  John,  they  swarm  like  flies.  And  they  are  a 
plague  like  the  plague  of  flies.  And,  like  flies,  filled 
with  poison  gathered  from  everything  filthy,  they 
bite.  Oh,  how  active  for  evil  is  selfishness !  A  sleep- 
ing python  is  not  as  a  python  that  has  coiled  and 
raised  itself  up  to  strike.  Neither  is  the  old  selfish- 
ness the  same  as  the  new  selfishness,  the  selfishness 
of  our  time — so  intently  watchful  to  seize  wherever 
it  can  for  self.  Its  great  activity  is  its  worst  feature. 
It  was  always  in  nature  the  same;  but  it  is  now  a 
full-grown  lion  as  compared  with  a  cub.  Scripture 
says  there  is  'peril'  in  it  for  those  who  live.  Great 
God,  what  peril!  Regardless  of  justice,  it  strikes 
down  to  destruction  its  millions.  How  many  are  the 
defrauded  through  selfishness !  Factory  hands,  mill 
workers,  miners,  agricultural  laborers,  poor  naked 
savages,  private  individuals  innumerable  cry  to 
Heaven  against  selfishness.  To-day,  I  mean,  to-day! 
In  this  day  of  mines,  factories  and  mills.  In  this  day 
of  greedy  commercialism.  And  who  is  safe?  The 
security  against  such  selfishness  is  the  Community  of 
brotherly  love !  But  there  would  not  be  security  even 
there  if  the  Society  I  speak  of  should  live  only  for 
itself,  its  own  membership.  Then  would  it  like- 
wise become  selfish.  However,  it  does  not  live  for 
itself.  It  contemplates  establishing  other  communi- 
ties indefinitely.  And  its  interest  is  not  ended  even 


Selfishness  and  Ferocity  of  Men       175 

there.  To  the  world  it  extends  its  helping  hand — to 
carry  the  Gospel  and  give  relief !" 

'"'Dear  Dad,  the  Community  of  love  for  one  another 
forever!  The  Society  from  which  selfish  aims  and 
ends  are  excluded !  What  a  heart  it  has  within  it ! 
It  is  the  very  heart  of  Jesus,  the  great  Serving  Man, 
as  well  as  the  divine  Christ !  Hurrah  for  the  Society 
where  selfishness  is  not  so  much  as  proposed,  nor 
meditated,  nor  thought !" 

"John,  I  must  enter  more  into  this  sentence,  'men 
shall  be  lovers  of  their  own  selves/  It  is  said,  they 
shall  be  'lovers/  which  implies  a  loved  object  or 
being.  But  hear  who  it  is.  Their  beloved  is  them- 
selves! They  do  not  get  beyond  themselves!  If  any 
of  them  should  claim  they  love  their  wives  and  chil- 
dren in  addition,  Scripture  says  that  is  still  loving 
one's  self:  'he  that  loveth  his  wife  loveth  himself/ 
In  loving  his  own  family  he  yet  loves  himself.  The 
dear  one,  the  beloved  of  the  selfish  man  is  his  own 
self!  'Love*  means  particular  regard,  attachment; 
selfish  men  have  a  particular  liking  and  are  supreme- 
ly or  exclusively  attached  to  themselves !  For  them 
exists  neither  God,  nor  Christ,  nor  men.  They  them- 
selves are  the  all  of  the  universe!  The  earth  was 
made  for  them.  The  rain  falls  for  them.  All  human- 
ity is  made  for  them.  They  would  be  the  god  of  all. 
Their  worship  is  of  themselves.  What  shapes !  what 
monsters !  If  that  described  me  I  should  be  horror- 
stricken  at  my  own  likeness.  I  should  want  to  be 
converted — or  die!  Everything  within  me  rises  up 
in  revulsion  against  the  selfish  man!" 

"I  am  sure,  Dad,  as  you  say,  that  selfishness,  organ- 
ized and  unorganized,  is  a  sight  the  like  of  which  was 
never  seen  before.  The  very  atmosphere  of  the  life 
of  to-day  is  selfishness.  There  are  great  corporations 
seeking  franchises,  concessions,  privileges,  exemp- 
tions, reductions,  bonuses,  etc.,  amounting  to  incal- 


176  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

culable  sums — through  selfishness.  Then  come  the 
bankers,  the  loan  sharks,  the  money  changers,  thriv- 
ing on  interest,  brokerages,  percentages,  margins, 
commissions,  exchanges,  credits — selfishness.  Then 
the  merchants,  storing  up  provisions  of  all  sorts  in 
warehouses  while  the  public  is  in  want,  with  no 
other  thought  than  to  increase  prices — selfishness. 
The  cost  of  living  goes  up,  up,  up — because  of  selfish- 
ness. And  this  selfishness  hardens  continually,  as 
loose  soil  under  many  rains  packs  into  greater  solid- 
ity. Men's  natures  are  modified,  and  in  some  cases 
completely  changed  by  the  affiliations  and  surround- 
ings of  the  times — the  environment — till  the  most 
noble  are  brought  down  to  selfishness.  A  creature 
(creation)  of  circumstances  one  is  what  the  mold 
makes  him,  and  the  mold  of  to-day  is  selfishness." 

"Dear  John,  this  selfishness  does  not  make  the 
world  happy.  It  causes  a  man  to  hate  his  fellow — 
his  selfish  brother.  You  remember  it  caused  trouble 
in  the  band  of  Christ's  disciples.  The  wife  of  Zebe- 
dee  came  to  Jesus  to  ask  for  her  two  sons,  James  and 
John,  the  highest  places  in  His  Kingdom — to  sit  one 
on  His  right  hand  and  the  other  on  His  left — say,  to 
be  Prime  Minister  and  Secretary  of  State.  Selfish 
woman !  she  received  only  rebuke  from  Christ.  And 
the  ten  were  mad  through  and  through ;  there  was  a 
great  row  over  it.  And  selfishness  to-day  makes  bit- 
terness, strikes,  bloodshed,  war  between  employers 
and  employed,  between  nation  and  nation.  Poverty 
— gaunt  spectre,  death's  advance  messenger ! — walks 
through  the  land.  Millions  are  underfed  and  insuf- 
ficiently clothed,  are  both  hungry  and  naked — 
through  selfishness.  The  world  of  working  men  is 
sullen  and  resentful  because  of  the  wrongs  of  self- 
ishness. There  smolders  a  fire  that  may  at  any 
moment  burst  into  flame.  Self-love,  self -planning, 
self-seeking  make  much  unhappiness." 


Selfishness  and  Ferocity  of  Men       177 

"Dear  Dad,  all  one  has  to  do  to  'get  wise*  on  how 
the  common  man  feels  about  it — ground  down  and 
barely  able  to  keep  himself  and  family  out  of  his 
meagre  wages,  yea  sometimes  compelled  to  see  them 
go  hungry — is  best  learned  by  going  among  the  men, 
and  particularly  by  attending  their  meetings.  They 
do  not  mince  words,  and  their  words  are  not  good  to 
repeat;  but  their  telling  is  not  half  as  bad  as  the 
facts.  Hear  a  few  comments  about  the  owner :  'He 
is  a  hog!'  'He  is  a  bad  egg!'  'He  is  a  cunning  old 
rascal !'  'He  is  a  scoundrel  from  the  word  Go !'  'He 
is  a  brute;'  'He  is  a  devil!'  'He  has  a  heart  like 
flint!'  'Damn  him!'  Good  treatment  never  earned 
such  names.  The  Pilgrim  Fathers  did  not  come  to 
this  country  to  found  a  society  of  brutal  selfishness. 
They  came  for  liberty  to  worship  God.  But  they 
came  also  to  establish  a  Brotherly  Society  of  mutual 
helpers.  I  say  this,  'lest  we  forget;'  lest  we  settle 
down  with  the  thought  that  whosoever  has  might 
may  take." 

"John,  it  sank  deep  into  my  heart  one  time  when  a 
man  who  knew  my  purpose  in  life  and  my  untiring 
activity  in  doing  good  to  others  put  his  hands  upon 
my  head  and  said,  'God  bless  his  good  old  head.'  A 
'good  old  head ;'  take  in  what  that  means.  Is  a  cun- 
ning old  head,  a  cranium  filled  with  brain  matter  that 
has  always  worked  for  self -profit,  self -pleasure,  self- 
advantage,  a  good  old  head?  I  should  think  men 
would  want  to  have  others  bless  them,  rather  than 
to  think  of  them  with  discontent  and  curse  both  them 
and  their  actions." 

"No,  Dad,  a  shrewd  old  head  that  meditates  and 
schemes  for  selfish  ends  is  not  a  good  head;  it  is  a 
very  bad  head.  This  selfishness  rules  not  only  in  Big 
Business  but  in  the  civil  world,  in  fact  in  every- 
thing. In  some  instances  it  is  not  so  conspicuous  as 
in  others,  yet  it  is  there — thought  of  self;  rest  when 


178  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

self  is  secure  and  is  supplied  with  the  things  fancied. 
A  bone  thrown  to  a  'dog' — one  of  the  poor  wretches 
in  want — does  not  alter  the  fact  of  selfishness." 

"John,  'this  is  that' — 'lovers  of  their  own  selves' 
is  foretold  as  a  sign  of  the  last  days.  But  few 
are  instructed  to  see  in  selfishness  a  token ;  and  many 
do  not  believe  it,  would  not  believe  it  though  one  rose 
from  the  dead.  And  so  men  go  on  unaware  of  the 
near  ending  of  the  age.  Alas!  it  will  close  with  a 
snap,  as  did  the  antedeluvian  age.  There  were  signs 
then,  but  the  people  did  not  heed  them.  They  may 
have  commented  on  the  gathering  together  of  the 
animals  and  birds  during  the  last  seven  days  before 
the  door  of  the  Ark  was  closed  as  remarkable,  some- 
thing out  of  the  ordinary;  but  they  did  not  realize 
that  it  portended  the  close  of  the  hundred  and  twenty 
years  of  God's  patient  waiting  for  their  repentance 
and  of  their  destruction  in  the  boiling  waters  of  the 
geysers  and  the  torrential  rains.  I  recall  the  account 
with  solemn  feelings.  Animals,  creeping  creatures, 
birds,  in  pairs  or  sevens,  possessed  by  an  impulse 
from  God,  make  for  the  Ark ;  gather  at  its  door ;  go 
into  the  vessel  without  being  driven:  'they  went  in 
unto  Noah,  into  the  Ark.'  And  what  of  mankind  out- 
side? 'They  knew  not  until  the  flood  came  and  took 
them  all  away.'  And  what  has  this  to  do  with  us; 
with  the  generation  of  the  last  days ;  with  the  people 
whose  character  is  pre-eminently  and  significantly 
'lovers  of  their  own  selves'  ?  'Even  thus  shall  it  be  in 
the  day  when  the  Son  of  man  is  revealed/  ' 

"Truly,  Dad,  faith  means  something;  it  is  the  sav- 
ing of  one's  life  and  inheritance  in  the  new,  clean 
world." 

"John,  I  must  give  you  one  more  'sign'  with  a  pro- 
phetic bearing.  'In  the  last  days  perilous  times  shall 
come;  for  men  shall  be  ...  fierce.'  I  connote 
the  prophecy  with  the  great  murder  enterprise  of  the 


Selfishness  and  Ferocity  of  Men       179 

demonized  Hohenzollern  Wilhelm  II  of  Prussia.  How 
we  can  any  of  us  eat,  drink,  do  our  ordinary  business, 
sleep  while  such  carnage  as  Europe  is  witnessing 
progresses  is  testimony  only  of  our  own  hardness. 
Think  of  the  carousals,  dancing,  merrymakings,  and 
all  the  things  of  common  life  that  go  on  among  us, 
while  the  next  room,  as  it  were,  is  full  of  bayonetted, 
bombed,  asphyxiated,  torn,  bleeding,  groaning,  dying 
f ellowmen !  We  are  truly  hardened  to  the  limit." 

"Certainly  you  know,  Dad,  there  are  different 
opinions  about  the  present  war,  and  that  men  are 
largely  pro-German  or  pro-British  through  their  ex- 
traction and  natural  sympathies." 

"John,  I  know  no  prejudice  toward  any  man  or 
nation  under  heaven;  but  being  careful  to  ascertain 
the  facts  I  have  come  to  certain  conclusions,  being 
forced  to  them,  as  to  who  is  to  blame,  and  in  my 
mind  I  lay  responsibility  for  this  awful  conflict  at 
the  door  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany.  It  might  have 
been  that  he  was  egged  on  to  it  by  restive  officers  who 
when  they  met  toasted  each  other  Der  Tag  (To  the 
day!) — the  day  of  war,  especially  against  England. 
One  can  understand  how  men  having  been  taught  to 
do  a  thing,  and  never  having  done  it,  especially  if 
they  had  one  great  hatred,  would  seethe  to  put  it  into 
operation,  and  it  is  matter  of  common  knowledge  that 
the  Crown  Prince  and  his  military  cronies  were 
eager  to  attack  'the  enemy'  (the  unfriendly  name 
which  the  Prussians  gave  to  their  neighbors).  If 
this  was  a  fact,  then  the  Emperor  was  a  weakling, 
and  like  Pilate  deserves  blame.  But  there  is  another 
story  which  places  the  responsibility  directly  upon 
the  Emperor,  attributing  to  him  the  initiative,  and  if 
that  is  true,  then  the  sobriquet  by  which  it  is  said  his 
name  will  be  handed  down  to  posterity,  'William  the 
Assassin/  is  his  by  right." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  the  conviction  of  the  people  of  the 


180  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

United  States,  to  speak  generally,  that  the  Kaiser  is 
responsible  for  the  present  war.  It  is  held  to  be 
hypocritical,  and  disproved  by  facts,  that  he  only 
acted  on  the  defensive,  fearing  attack  by  Russia  and 
France.  Had  he  stood  on  the  boundary-line  of  his 
kingdom  prepared  for  defense  that  would  have  been 
one  thing ;  but  when  he  ordered  his  army  into  France, 
and  even  violated  the  neutrality  of  little  Belgium, 
which  he  had  sworn  to  respect,  that  was  quite  an- 
other; it  was  plainly  a  war  of  aggression.  The 
special  pleading  of  men  after  he  failed  that  defense 
was  his  only  design,  especially  when  he  also  ad- 
vanced in  the  East,  even  his  own  papers  characterize 
as  not  capable  of  maintenance." 

"Dear  John,  I  am  not  interested  in  all  the  contro- 
versies concerning  the  war  moves.  I  am  only  speaking 
as  to  the  man  who  let  fall  the  spark  that  has  set  the 
world  on  fire.  That  man  is  Kaiser  William.  I  feel 
I  must  say  a  few  words  about  the  Kaiser  that  shall 
truly  describe  him  as  a  man  and  a  ruler.  His  tem- 
perament also  counts  for  something,  likewise  his  am- 
bition. Emperor  William  is  not  what  would  be 
called  an  amiable  man;  nor  is  it  of  record  that  he 
possesses  the  softer  with  the  more  virile  qualities  of 
human  nature.  There  is  a  sternness  in  his  face  and 
his  manner  and  tone  are  those  of  arbitrary  authority. 
His  training  from  boyhood  has  been  military,  and 
that  may  be  one  reason  for  his  haughtiness,  for  he 
entertains  peculiar  views  of  himself  as  king.  He  be- 
lieves he  is  king  by  divine  right;  that  the  people 
belong  to  him;  that  he  is  their  lawgiver;  that  they 
must  obey  him  absolutely;  that  not  to  obey  him  is 
sin  against  God  and  treason.  He  is  very  self-willed. 
His  own  people  who  had  different  ideas  about  gov- 
ernment than  himself,  the  Social  Democrats,  were 
greatly  disliked  by  him.  It  is  said  also  that  as  a 
father  he  was  The  King;  and  that  his  wife  is  re- 


Selfishness  and  Ferocity  of  Men       181 

garded  by  him  as  his  subject,  and  that  she,  too,  obeys 
him  as  lord.  Ruling  through  bodies  he  still  holds 
control  and  the  king's  will  is  prevalent  in  all  matters 
of  his  kingdom.  He  is  very  sensitive  to  any  en- 
croachment upon  his  royal  prerogative,  and  a  man 
falling  under  his  displeasure  has  his  future  blighted. 
He  has  always  courted  his  army,  and  lately  also  his 
navy,  in  both  of  which  he  takes  great  pride,  and  his 
conceit  of  himself  is  unbounded.  He  has  what  has 
been  called  'gimlet  eyes/  that  bore  through  a  person 
and  make  men  tremble  for  fear.  He  can  brook  no 
opposition  in  anything." 

"Dear  Dad,  but  he  is  really  a  great  man  in  some 
respects.  See  what  he  has  done  for  Germany,  unit- 
ing her  and  raising  her  to  the  first  rank.  No  ruler 
has  done  so  much  materially  for  his  people." 

"John,  I  am  very  glad  you  put  in  that  remark.  I 
cheerfully  grant  that  in  material  things  Emperor 
William  has  been  a  great  asset  for  the  Teutonic  fed- 
eration. Please  let  me  say,  I  have  no  thought  of  de- 
traction; to  all  their  due.  But  with  all  this  pros- 
perity of  a  worldly  kind  the  Prussian  overlord — he 
likes  to  be  called  by  his  people  their  'war-lord* — has 
some  very  bad,  very  depraving  principles,  and  his 
doctrine  is  'Be  hard!'  We  remember  no  address  of 
his  that  we  have  read  where  Christian  gentleness  and 
true  brotherly  love  as  it  was  first  taught  is  enun- 
ciated. If  there  be  any  such,  the  teaching  (for  he 
preaches)  is  not  made  prominent  enough  to  make 
impression.  Now  the  trouble  with  the  Kaiser  is  that 
he  is  a  supreme  lover  of  himself,  and  of  Germany 
for  his  own  sake.  That  is,  he  is  a  tribal  man.  His 
motto  is  'Kaiser  and  Fatherland/  with  Kaiser  first. 
His  sympathies  end  with  the  boundary-line  of  his 
kingdom.  That  is  not  saying  he  never  has  taken  in- 
terest in  anything  across  the  border;  but  that  for  all 
real,  efficient  purposes  he  is  circumscribed  in  mind 


182  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

and  interest  to  'my  beloved  Germany.'  But  even 
that  has  to  give  way  if  his  prestige  and  will  are  at 
stake.  To  save  the  throne  for  the  Hohenzollerns  he 
has  sacrificed  hundreds  of  thousands  and  millions  of 
men,  sending  them  on  in  waves  and  in  solid  forma- 
tion to  sure  death!  The  Kaiser  has  never  been 
broadened  out  to  love  men  as  men,  Britons  as  well  as 
Germans.  Humanity,  in  the  sense  of  love,  impar- 
tial love  to  all  men,  he  has  not." 

"Dad,  I  observe,  too,  that  his  manner  has  been 
very  imperious  toward  the  rulers  of  other  nations, 
which  naturally  did  not  endear  him  to  them." 

"Yes,  John.  Now  through  many  years  he  has  had 
his  army  in  his  mind.  He  has  kept  on  perfecting  it. 
He  has  contemplated  using  it — which,  of  course, 
meant  war.  Whenever  anything  was  invented  that 
promised  to  be  useful  for  destruction  he  greeted  it 
and  medalized  the  inventor.  Thoroughness  was  his 
motto,  and  it  was  sustained  to  the  last  detail.  Now 
imagine,  John,  what  changes  must  have  been  wrought 
from  normality  in  the  brain  of  the  Emperor  from 
so  many  years'  contemplation  of  war  and  getting 
ready  in  every  department  to  launch  the  bolt!  Of 
course,  he  became  abnormal,  a  monomaniac.  All 
this  was  a  foundation  of  affinity  with  Satan,  the 
murderer  from  the  beginning;  just  as  Judas'  covet- 
ousness  was  a  foundation.  And  one  day  Satan 
entered  into  Judas  and  supplied  the  lacking  but  nec- 
essary inspiration  to  sell  his  Lord.  So  finally  the 
Kaiser,  being  prepared  for  every  evil  work,  Satan 
entered  into  him.  It  was  noticeable  by  his  friends. 
A  strangeness,  an  unusual  look  came  into  his  eyes; 
an  evil  spirit  animated  his  entire  being.  A  friend 
of  his  describes  the  light  in  his  eyes  when  the  British 
were  mentioned  as  like  'phosphorus' — a  very  gleam 
of  hell!  A  man  composed  a  song  of  hate  and  he 
pinned  a  medal  on  to  his  coat !  He  had  the  song  of 


Selfishness  and  Ferocity  of  Men       183 

hate  sung  in  the  public  schools  and  the  little  children 
were  turned  by  him  into  adders!  All  who  did  any- 
thing especially  cruel  or  harmful — to  the  enemy — 
were  praised  by  him  and  honored  and  promoted. 
We  all  know  a  devilized  man  has  large  sustaining 
strength ;  Satan  upholds  him.  He  has  upheld  the  Kai- 
ser, who  has  been  regarded  with  pity  and  disgust  by 
good  men  the  world  over.  He  lived  in  a  frenzy  of 
hate.  We  know  of  no  man  anywhere  in  all  the 
world,  of  any  color,  painted  or  unpainted,  tattooed 
or  untattooed,  with  rings  in  his  ears  and  nose,  naked 
all  but  for  the  breech-cloth  around  his  loins,  that 
has  ever  exhibited  and  for  so  long  a  time  such  a 
puerile  fiendish  hatred  to  others  as  has  the  Emperor 
of  Germany." 

"Surely,  Dad,  as  you  say,  he  must  have  had  an 
inspiration  from  somewhere  and  from  somebody  to 
keep  him  up.  Men  get  angry  and  get  over  it.  They 
explode  and  then  are  calm.  But  some  spirit  has  sus- 
tained the  Emperor,  and  it  is  unbelievable  that  it  is 
the  Spirit  of  God." 

"Dear  John,  with  such  implacable  hatred  in  his 
heart  the  Emperor  became  a  fountain  to  others. 
That  explains  how  such  a  peaceable  people  as  the 
Germans — excepting  the  Prussians — became  so  filled 
with  hatred  and  fury.  They  drank  into  their  veins 
his  spirit  and  were  alike  intoxicated.  He  told  them  a 
lie,  but  it  became  a  vital  lie.  He  said  the  nations 
intended  to  destroy  Germany.  He  knew  it  to  be  a  lie ; 
but  he  wanted  something  to  justify  the  war  and 
exasperate  Germans  against  their  neighbors.  For 
some  time  the  Emperor  has  not  been  a  man  but  a 
demoniac.  Having  sold  himself  to  the  devil  he  can 
never  come  back.  Sanity  is  never  again  for  him. 
Were  he  to  hang  himself  through  remorse,  like 
Judas,  it  would  be  good  for  humanity.  Ah,  good 
were  it  for  the  Germans,  good  for  the  Allies,  good 


184  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

for  the  world,  good  for  himself  if  he  had  never  been 
born." 

"A  man,  Dad,  who  could  do  such  things  as  he  has 
done  in  warfare  is  unspeakable.  Take  the  sinking 
of  the  Lusitania,  for  example." 

"Now,  John,  I  come  to  my  point.  Here  is  a  fierce 
man  of  the  last  days.  And  he  has  gathered  about 
him  others  equally  fierce.  If  a  commander  under 
him  is  not  a  seven-times  imbruted  creature  smashing 
everything  he  is  relieved  of  his  command  and  an- 
other more  fierce  is  put  in  his  place.  If  his  troops 
will  not  advance  because  they  cannot,  report  has  it 
that  they  are  shot  from  behind.  Nothing  is  too  bar- 
barous or  vile  for  this  bad  coterie  of  men  to  do.  They 
suffocate  with  poisonous  gas;  they  squirt  fire  upon 
the  Allies;  they  drop  bombs  on  non-belligerents  and 
unfortified  cities;  they  torpedo  unarmed  merchant 
vessels;  they  tear  husbands  from  wives  and  send 
them  away  to  work;  they  put  fines  upon  the  nation 
they  have  decimated.  And  if  there  is  anything  else 
that  they  can  think  of  that  is  inhuman  and  diabolical 
they  will  do  it.  Every  holy  principle  and  sympa- 
thetic feeling  has  been  thrown  overboard  and  the 
slogan  now  is  'Anything  to  win !'  0  is  not  this  the 
fiercest  ever?  'In  the  last  days  men  shall  be  fierce/ 
Let  the  rattling  of  musketry  and  machine-gun  fire; 
let  the  monster  screeching,  bursting  explosive  shells ; 
let  the  charges  of  solid  masses  into  barbed  wire 
entanglements;  let  the  greenish-yellow  clouds  of 
poisonous  gas;  let  the  naked  bayonet  testify  if  this 
is  not  the  greatest  fury  and  ferocity  of  all  time, 
yea,  impossible  of  being  heightened !  Let  more  than 
two  and  a  half  years  of  this  infernal  war  speak  up 
and  he  heard.  Let  the  earth,  literally  trembling 
under  the  fire  of  hundreds  of  mighty  cannon;  let 
everything  done  in  this  war  say,  if  it  is  not  at  last 
fulfilled:  'Men  shall  be  fierce/  " 


Selfishness  and  Ferocity  of  Men       185 

"And,  Dad,  what  about  the  Allies?" 

"John,  the  Allies  did  not  start  this  war ;  but  they 
have  been  worked  up  to  retaliate  in  kind.  Except 
that  they  have  not  been  so  ruthless  throughout,  even 
if  they  have  in  an  occasional  instance.  They,  too, 
are  fierce.  They  will  tell  you  their  ferocity  is  differ- 
ent from  that  of  their  attackers;  that  they  are  re- 
pellers  of  a  horde  out  of  hell,  led  by  King  Apollyon. 
We  shall  not  discuss  that.  They  are  doing  terrible 
things.  Their  acts,  with  those  of  Germany,  prove 
that  men  are  at  last  supremely  fierce.  There  is  no 
good  nation  under  heaven.  Nations  are  only  com- 
paratively good.  But  with  whole  nations  bending 
their  energies  to  kill;  with  science  exhausted  of  all 
.her  secrets  to  aid  in  the  awful  struggle ;  with  infan- 
try going  into  battle  full  of  revenge  and  set  in  fury, 
I  look  upon  the  world  and  say :  This  is  that  which 
was  spoken/  'in  the  last  days  men  shall  be  fierce.' 
I  turn  from  the  blood-drenched  battlefield;  I  look 
upon  the  peaceable  Community  of  men  and  women 
obeying  the  voice  of  Christ,  'Be  harmless  as  doves ;' 
and  here  I  rest,  awaiting  the  day  when  men  shall 
learn  war  no  more,  and  none  shall  terrify  and  deci- 
mate his  brother.  There  is  no  selfishness  in  the 
Community  fold.  No  frenzy  of  hatred  stirs  the 
bosoms  of  its  loving  membership.  It  is  a  good  place 
to  be  found  in  at  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  to 
assume  openly  His  royal  right  of  Universal  King- 
ship. A  time  is  allotted  to  Him,  of  which  we  read, 
'Who  in  His  time  shall  show  who  is  the  blessed  and 
only  Potentate' — and  the  echo  dies  away  in  my 
thoughts,  The  blessed  and  only  Potentate !' " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
Beginning  a  New  Community 


"JOHN,  the  time  has  come  for  me  to  unfold  to  you, 
in  the  will  of  God,  the  new  System  of  Christian  liv- 
ing, the  right  Social  life  for  believers  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Its  foundation  is  the  eternal  rock  of 
Love.  That  is  a  ground  of  relationship  and  work  to 
which  nothing  else  is  comparable.  The  Song  of 
Songs  says,  'Many  waters  cannot  quench  love, 
neither  can  the  floods  drown  it.'  It  survives  all  cir- 
cumstances; and  hence  cannot  be  beaten  as  a  basis 
for  union  and  mutual  support.  How  many  things  will 
we  do  for  love's  sake  that  we  would  not  consider  for 
pecuniary  reward!  0  when  Love  came  down  from 
heaven  in  the  person  of  our  beloved  Lord  Jesus  the 
fairest  visage  of  all  appeared!  Virgin  Purity,  so 
chaste  and  with  the  bloom  of  the  heavenly  country 
on  her  cheeks,  needed  sweet,  gentle  Love  by  her 
side  to  complete  her — it  was  not  good  for  her  to 
remain  alone.  Righteousness  must  have  for  her 
co-partner  Love.  Love  is  brightness,  joy,  union ;  love 
is  heaven.  Now  the  new  System  that  is  given  me  to 
show  to  you  is  based  upon  love.  The  bases  of  exist- 
ing systems  of  Social  being-together  are  riot  those 
of  mutual  love;  hence  they  are  defective.  They  do 
not  and  cannot  be  made  to  work  the  good  of  all.  They 
are  made  for  tribes  or  nations ;  their  symbol  is  that 
narrow  word  'patriotism/  which  of  course  is  not 


188  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

synonymous  with  humanity — which  has  no  frontier- 
line  nor  boundary,  but  embraces  the  entire  world. 
Then,  too,  other  systems  are  devised  and  worked  for 
special  privileges  and  gain  for  some,  for  a  few; 
to  the  robbery  and  suffering  of  the  masses.  They 
are  systems  of  selfishness  and  plunder.  But  the 
record  of  Love  will  show  you  that  she  never  was 
selfish;  that  she  never  has  plundered  anybody  of 
goods  or  of  happiness.  Love,  then,  let  it  be  borne  in 
mind,  is  the  basis  of  this  new  Society ;  love,  not  greed 
— to  make  a  fortune." 

"The  basis  is  a  good  one,  dear  Dad ;  but  now  how 
do  you  propose  to  build  upon  this  basis  the  super- 
structure of  a  supplied  and  contented  Society?" 

"That,  dear  John,  is  my  task  at  present,  to  show 
the  way  of  action  to  accomplish  the  end.  Tlain  it 
a  little/  says  a  builder  who  looks  over  the  plans  of 
an  edifice — 'plain*  in  this  case  means  'explain';  the 
constructor  asks  that  the  several  markings  shall  be 
explained.  He  is  practical;  that  plan  is  to  be  his 
working  guide,  and  he  must  understand  all  about  it. 
John,  I  like  to  meet  with  the  good  man  who  wants 
things  explained,  details  gone  into.  I  know  in  work 
one  must  grasp  details  for  results.  A  rough  state- 
ment that  a  love-relationship  would  bring  supply  and 
satisfaction  to  all  is  only  good  as  a  first  general 
statement;  how  must  be  told.  That  is  where  so 
many  err  in  salvation  matters — I  mean  now,  the 
deliverance  that  takes  men  initially  and  forever  out 
of  the  world  to  be  followers  of  Christ:  they  never 
get  the  details,  they  do  not  know  how  to  work  out 
salvation,  God  working  within,  giving  them  incli- 
nation and  moral  strength.  They  read  Peter's  words, 
'Repent  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you/  but  omit 
to  notice  that  'with  many  other  words  did  he  testify 
and  exhort,  saying,  Save  yourselves  from  this  unto- 
ward generation/  Those  'many  other  words'  of 


Beginning  a  New  Community        189 

testimony  and  incitement  doubtless  explained  and 
urged  and  brought  the  final  result.  And  there  was 
that  first  great  general  statement  of  Paul  to  the 
Philippian  jailer,  'Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved' — which  said  the  destroying 
Power  was  also  a  saving  Power,  and  that  through 
faith  He  would  be  the  jailer's  Saviour.  For  the  jailer 
however  to  comprehend  this  he  must  have  it  explained 
to  him,  and  this  Paul  did;  for  the  narrative  says, 
'And  they  [Paul  and  Silas]  spake  unto  him  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  and  to  all  that  were  in  his  house/  He 
must  have  the  Gospel  told  him,  and  simplified  down 
to  his  understanding.  So  this  System  must  be 
worked  out  to  the  varying  intellects  of  men;  and  I 
am  the  man  to  tell  it  you,  dear  John.  Why  do  I  say 
this?  Am  I  not  conceited?  or  presumptuous?  No, 
John ;  he  who  is  shown  a  vision  is  the  man  to  disclose 
it.  It  is  a  duty  imposed  in  the  revelation.  He  is 
shown  it  purposely  that  he  may  show  it  to  others. 
'What  thou  seest  write  in  a  book  and  send  to* — the 
parties  of  the  vision,  the  persons  interested.  He  who 
sees  is  the  one  to  reveal,  whomsoever  he  may  be." 

"Dad,  I  understand  you,  that  it  is  the  general 
will  of  God  that  any  man  whose  eyes  God  has  opened 
to  see  things  that  pertain  to  others,  necessary  or 
useful  to  be  known,  must  be  faithful  and  loving  to 
speak  them.  I  wonder  would  that  include  also  the 
brother  who  had  a  sudden  revelation  in  the  worship 
of  the  early  church  to  whom  all  had  to  give  way  and 
for  whom  the  exercises  must  stop  until  he  delivered 
his  word  from  the  Lord  or  told  his  revelation — vis- 
ion? The  principle,  anyway,  seems  to  be  of  God, 
that  a  seer  is  also  a  testifier ;  with  of  course  the  cor- 
relative that  he  who  sees  nothing  remain  quiet." 

"That  is  the  principle,  John;  'the  revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto  Him,  to  show 
unto  His  servants  the  things  that  must  shortly  come 


190  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

to  pass;  and  He  sent  and  signified  it  by  His  angel 
unto  His  servant  John* — who  in  turn  communicated 
it  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia.  'To  show  unto  his 
servants'  and  'he  sent  and  signified  it' :  no  more  need 
be  said  as  to  my  assertion  that  my  word  is  the 
word  of  the  Lord  upon  the  subject  considered — it 
being  assumed  that  'let  all  your  things  be  done  with 
charity'  is  a  dictum  of  Heaven.  But  now  to  con- 
tinue, this  is  my  'let  us' — that  for  our  earthly  life, 
a  transitory  existence,  soon  to  merge  into  the  life 
of  full  knowledge,  full  functioning,  full  bliss,  full 
honor  in  the  presence  of  Jesus,  at  His  coming  back, 
under  His  glorious  reign — 'let  us'  enter  into  a  cove- 
nant of  mutual  love  and  support  and  diligence  in 
every  good  work  toward  those  within  and  without  for 
the  days  of  our  pilgrimage  through  this  unfriendly 
country  of  our  temporary  sojourn;  thereby  making 
our  life  less  burdened  and  care-filled  than  present 
conditions  entail.  And  again — how?" 

"Dad,  it  always  comes  to  the  'how.'  'What  must 
I  do  ?'  naturally  arises  to  the  lips  of  one  who  would 
escape ;  'tell  me  the  course  to  take,  the  action  to  pur- 
sue ;  how  ?  how  ?'  It  is  the  eternal  'how' !" 

"  'How'  shall  be  answered,  dear  Son.  First,  I  sug- 
gest, as  form  of  action  but  not  bare  formality,  the 
calling  of  a  meeting  of  such  brethren  as  have  interest 
in  others  as  well  as  themselves — which  is  only  plain 
Christianity  after  all  and  not  a  special  mark  of  per- 
fection or  of  pre-eminent  sanctity.  (Alas,  this  nor- 
mal Christianity  is  not  common!)  Have  for  this 
meeting  one  definite  object,  to  confer  together  upon 
the  establishment  of  a  Society  of  fellow-helpers. 
Let  it  be  devoted  solely  to  business,  Christ's  busi- 
ness, which  He  left  us  to  carry  on  when  He  departed 
from  us  to  go  into  heaven.  Avoid  desultory  conver- 
sation, even  upon  religious  topics.  The  usual  meet- 
ings, for  talk  only  without  definite  point  and  solely 


Beginning  a  New  Community        191 

for  religiosity  instead  of  religion,  are  dissipative 
of  true  spirituality.  They  make  of  believers  only 
emotive  theorists.  But  this,  let  it  be  remembered,  is  a 
meeting  for  the  'do'  people,  co-workers,  in  fellowship 
with  Father  and  Son.  Of  course,  prayer  will  begin 
the  exercises ;  or  perhaps  follow  a  hymn  of  praise  to 
God.  Then  may  follow  informal  talk  by  groups  of 
two  or  three,  or  impromptu  addresses  to  all,  as  the 
free  spirit,  the  family  sprit,  may  move,  all  bearing 
upon  fraternity  and  the  reciprocal  duties  of  brother 
to  brother,  that  all  may  be  more  deeply  impressed 
with  the  obligation  of  brotherhood — that  it  may  be 
engraved  deeply  by  the  stylus  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  word  of  God,  in  every  heart.  This,  please,  as 
preparation  only — to  prepare  the  heart  for  Godly 
action,  for  the  essential  object  of  the  gathering; 
namely,  the  extension  of  the  unity  in  Christ  to  work 
as  well  as  prayer  and  good  morals.  'Let  us  now  pro- 
ceed to  business/  they  say,  in  legislative  halls,  after 
the  speaking.  Business!  business!  Talk  only  is 
smoke,  however  good  it  is.  It  creates  but  a  frame; 
makes  but  sentiment." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  sounds  good  to  hear  mention  of  busi- 
ness among  Christians  that  is  more  than  running  a 
church  and  paying  a  preacher ;  business  for  the  good 
of  all  the  membership  is  decidedly  better." 

"We  shall  now  conceive,  dear  Son,  that  the  time 
has  come  for  the  making  of  the  Covenant ;  but  before 
I  outline  further  I  wish  to  dwell  upon  the  proposed 
compact  of  love  that  would  be  a  new  beginning  of 
Christian  living.  Why  a  covenant  at  all?  I  frankly 
allow  there  should  be  no  such  necessity.  If  the  love 
of  the  early  Church  had  not  cooled  or  subsided — if  it 
had  not  disappeared  in  its  mutual  care-taking  phe- 
nomena— there  would  be  no  need  of  talk  about  re- 
storing it,  or  of  a  distinct  covenant  with  that  intent. 
'Let  brotherly  love  continue';  had  it  continued,  saint 


192  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

upholding  saint,  a  covenant  would  have  been  super- 
fluous. It  has  not.  If  any  disputes  this,  I  challenge 
mention  of  a  Society  where  the  business  of  one  and 
the  livelihood  of  one  is  the  business  and  felt  obliga- 
tion of  another.  As  a  rule,  nobody  thinks  of  such 
interest  in  his  brother's  well-being.  But  it  ought  to 
be  so.  Men  complain  to  the  Church,  'You  profess  to 
have  interest  in  saving  my  soul  in  heaven  after  I 
am  dead;  but  you  have  no  interest  in  my  struggles 
while  I  am  alive/  The  System  I  propose  to  my  breth- 
ren is  one  that  takes  personal  interest  in  others! 
interest  for  time  as  well  as  interest  for  their  here- 
after! Now  about  the  Covenant — to  bring  us  to- 
gether again  and  bind  us  in  one.  The  Spirit  of  God 
witnesses  with  my  spirit  that  this  is  His  mind,  His 
will  for  us." 

"Dear  Dad,  this  being  established,  Christian  unity 
would  become  a  circle — an  all-round  thing — not 
a  broken  fragment,  as  to-day." 

"John,  it  occurs  to  me  that  our  condition  is  very 
like  that  of  the  worshipers  of  God  in  the  days 
of  Nehemiah.  They  had  the  Law,  as  we  have 
Christ's  commandment  of  love  of  the  brotherhood. 
They  should  have  obeyed  the  law  given  them,  but  they 
did  not.  So  we  have  the  law  of  Christ  to  be  broth- 
ers one  to  another,  and  are  not.  But  there  came  to 
them  a  man  'to  seek  the  welfare  of  the  children  of 
Israel/  and  reproving  them  he  caused  them  to 
return  to  the  good  way  by  means  of  a  covenant  one 
with  another,  in  which  they  forsook  their  evil  life  and 
commenced  a  better.  What  if  it  is  God  who  sends 
me  to  His  own  to  urge  and  beseech  them  by  cove- 
nant one  with  another  to  be  again  loving  as  Chris- 
tians once  were — to  be  so  loving  that  no  interest  of 
a  fellow-saint  shall  be  a  matter  of  indifference ;  but 
that  all,  working  side  by  side,  and  singing  for  joy 


Beginning  a  New  Community        193 

of  heart,  as  a  blessed  Brotherhood,  shall  establish  a 
Commonweal  that  shall  be  a  rejoicing  in  the  earth." 

"May  it  be  so,  dear  Dad !  A  million  blessings  rest 
upon  the  head  of  him  who  shall  do  the  church  and  the 
world  such  great  good." 

"A  covenant,  John,  as  I  think  of  it,  is  very  sacred 
and  creates  a  strongly  binding  obligation  on  the 
parties  thereto.  If  they  are  men  of  integrity,  or  as 
we  say  'men  of  their  word/  and  especially  if  they 
profess  Christian  discipleship,  what  they  promise — 
promise  one  another  in  the  sight  of  God — is  an  invio- 
lable engagement.  Far  from  all  goodness  and  honor, 
far,  far,  is  he  who  regards  a  document  of  agreement 
with  his  name  subscribed  thereto  as  only  'a  scrap  of 
paper/  Paper  (or  parchment)  it  originally  was  and 
still  is,  but  it  is  not  a  sheet  of  scribbling  paper  to  be 
torn  into  bits  and  thrown  into  the  waste  basket. 
The  righteous  man  'sweareth  to  his  own  hurt  and 
changeth  not/  He  is  not  like  that  unspeakable 
ruler  who  has  made  of  Europe  one  vast  shambles 
and  cemetery,  and  who  having  dishonored  his  solemn 
word  has  now  adopted  the  vile  motto :  'Anything  to 
win/  See  the  criminals  the  covenant-breaker  is 
listed  with  in  the  first  chapter  to  the  Romans: 
'without  understanding,  covenant-breakers,  unsoci- 
able, implacable,  unmerciful/  Now  although  it  is 
thought  by  men  who  are  themselves  lax  with  regard 
to  their  promises  that  a  covenant  is  but  a  rope  of 
sand  as  a  foundation  for  a  Society,  I  do  not  believe  it 
would  be  so  with  such  men  and  women  who  under  a 
solemn  sense  of  duty  and  with  a  great  baptism  of 
brotherly  love  agreed  together  to  be  co-partners  and 
good  fellows  to  the  end.  Especially  when  the  plight 
was  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus !  And  made  with 
fasting  and  prayer !  And  after  it  was  perfected  cele- 
brated with  songs  of  rejoicing  and  thanksgiving  to 
God !  These  are  not  the  men  who  break  their  word. 


194  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

Having  burned  their  boats  behind  them  they  would  be 
extremely  unlikely  to  want  to  return  to  the  old 
selfish  and  unsatisfactory  life  of  competition  and 
greed.  Indeed,  having  tried  it  out,  we  are  confident 
that  they  would  find  the  Collective  life  the  surest  for 
the  things  of  this  world." 

"I  think  so,  too,  dear  Dad.  I  think  if  there  was 
doubt  at  first  it  would,  like  the  morning  mist,  soon 
clear  away  and  be  gone — gone  forever !" 

"As  a  basis  too  of  government  what  is  there  so 
reliable  as  the  right  hand  of  a  man  in  that  of 
his  neighbor?  It  is  just  that  sort  of  government 
we  live  under  in  the  United  States.  It  is  a  covenant 
of  the  people.  Its  stability  has  been  long  proved.  At 
the  beginning  it  was  prophesied  that  it  would  soon 
fall  to  pieces ;  but  it  has  remained  united  long  enough 
to  refute  monarchists  who  said  a  king  was  indis- 
pensable. I  doubt  not  that  a  Society  founded  upon 
mutual  love,  assiduously  cultivated,  would  stand.  I 
do  not  see  how  it  could  fail,  if  all  continued  faith- 
ful; and  I  would  'take  chances/  as  credit  men  say, 
on  that,  having  confidence  in  my  brethren's  sincer- 
ity and  good-heartedness  by  the  Spirit.  In  other 
forms  of  government,  not  by  agreement  of  the  peo- 
ple, laws  are  imposed  and  people  become  subjects;  in 
a  covenant-government  every  man  is  a  sovereign,  and 
not  a  subject  but  a  citizen.  No  king,  who  may  be  a 
tyrant  or  despot,  owns  them  and  has  the  power  of 
life  and  death  over  them  if  they  rebel  against  his 
oppression.  The  government  of  the  new  System  of 
Christian  living  would  be,  of  course,  much  better 
than  that  of  our  civil  State,  because  its  laws  would 
be  better,  and  its  citizens  persons  ruled  by  more 
exalted  principles,  even  those  of  Holy  Scripture; 
and  the  workers  would  have  all  they  earned.  It 
would  be  in  short  a  Theocracy." 

"But  Dad,  men  say  such  combines  have  always 
been  failures." 


Beginning  a  New  Community        195 

"Do  you  know  one,  dear  John,  of  this  sort  that  has 
not  succeeded?  There  have  been  co-operative, 
socialistic  organizations  (communities)  that  have 
failed;  but  some  have  succeeded.  But  this  Society 
suggested  is  quite  unlike  those  that  have  gone  before 
for  many  centuries.  The  new  Christian  Society 
never  would  and  never  could  be  the  sport  of  private 
owners.  All  would  own  everything,  and  receive 
through  their  united  efforts  all  that  their  needs  and 
their  reasonable  wants  required;  but  no  one  would 
own  anything  so  as  to  make  it  exclusively  his — I 
mean  by  title.  A  covenant  of  association  for  the 
ends  named  starts  the  System  and  living  up  to  the 
rules  establishes  it;  and  from  the  first,  without  the 
shadow  of  a  doubt,  God's  benediction  would  be  given 
it ;  and  one  of  the  members  of  the  Community  would 
be  Jesus  himself — invisible  truly,  but  certainly  one 
of  the  partnership — its  Head;  for  where  His  Lord- 
ship is  honored,  honored  with  gladness,  Jesus  is  in 
the  midst." 

"Dear  Dad,  you  speak  with  the  greatest  certainty ; 
you  are  very  confident  as  to  the  outcome.  And 
speaking  for  myself,  I  can  not  see  any  flaw  in  the 
enterprise  that  would  cause  a  break.  Love,  so  long 
as  its  was  maintained,  and  the  presumption  is  that  it 
would  be  with  persons  doing  everything  every  day 
to  endear  themselves  to  one  another,  would  be  good 
enough  for  the  bottom  of  anything ;  and  joint  work- 
ing of  all  must  mean,  after  all  were  established  in  a 
home,  large  production;  and  nobody  to  take  the 
cream  off  the  milk  but  the  worker  to  get  the  cream 
with  the  milk.  If  a  Society  could  not  succeed  with  all 
these  advantages  it  would  seem  that  none  ever  could. 
But  Dad,  would  you  have  the  covenanters  give  their 
verbal  promise,  or  reduce  it  to  writing  and  ask  them 
to  sign  up  ?" 

"Dear  John,  if  a  man  approves  a  thing  with  all 


196  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

his  heart  I  for  one  can  see  no  reason  why  he  should 
refuse  to  sign  his  name  and  so  put  himself  on  record 
as  endorsing  it.  And  if  it  be  a  covenant  such  as  I  sug- 
gest I  think  he  will  want  to  be  of  the  honorables  who 
are  parties  to  it.  In  Nehemiah,  ninth  chapter,  Israel 
who  returned  to  obedience  'with  fasting  and  with 
sackclothes  and  earth  upon  them'  (chapter  9:1), 
said,  'because  of  all  this  we  make  a  sure  covenant, 
and  write  it,  and  our  princes,  Levites  and  priests 
seal  unto  it;'  and  the  first  half  of  the  tenth 
chapter  gives  the  names  of  those  who  engaged  them- 
selves in  behalf  of  the  people ;  and  they  even  'entered 
into  a  curse  and  into  an  oath  to  walk  in  God's  law ;' 
and  if  God  grants  us  grace  to  return  to  the  early 
love  of  the  Brotherhood,  why  should  we  not  be  will- 
ing to  put  down  our  names  as  covenanters?  It  is 
not  for  speculation  or  to  risk  anything,  as  we  have 
been  verily  guilty  of  doing  when  we  were  'yet  car- 
nal and  walked  as  men/  bearing  at  the  same  time 
the  honorable  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  In  my  judg- 
ment the  covenant  should  be  written,  that  we  may 
have  before  us  its  provisions ;  and  our  names  should 
be  on  the  document  declaring  that  we  were  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Brotherhood  of  Saints." 

Well,  Dad,  that  is  manly.  As  to  'oath'  and  'curse' 
in  case  of  breach  of  the  covenant  we  do  not  belong 
to  the  vowing  age,  and  there  is  no  obligation  of  oaths 
laid  upon  us  by  Christ;  indeed,  He  says  to  the  con- 
trary, 'Swear  not  at  all;'  but  certainly  the  purpose 
of  our  heart  must  be  the  settled  one  of  faithfulness 
to  one  another — loyalty  if  you  like,  and  we  must  not 
have  the  remotest  thought  that  our  action  is  but 
an  experiment  from  which  we  can  honorably  with- 
draw. Still  if  after  a  while  a  brother  is  tempted  to 
go  back  to  his  old  selfishness,  losing  the  love  of  the 
Brotherhood  out  of  his  heart,  and  takes  himself  away, 
utterly  refusing  to  come  back  to  the  Association  of 


Beginning  a  New  Community        197 

labor  and  love,  the  faithful  should  not  force  him  to 
keep  his  word.  At  least,  I  would  not  be  one  to  force 
him." 

"John,  everything  in  such  a  life  must  be  free  and 
unconstrained.  And  yet  my  personal  convictions  are 
that  no  Christian  should  feel  free  in  regard  of  obli- 
gation to  his  brother  to  act  without  sympathy  toward 
him,  but  should  have  it  in  his  heart  and  will  to  do 
everything  in  his  power  in  every  way,  in  business  as 
in  counsel  and  encouragement,  to  help  him,  and  make 
his  life  one  of  freedom  and  gladness." 

"You  speak  of  a  'covenant'  a  written  agreement : 
will  you  please  tell  me  how  you  would  word  it?" 

"John,  as  to  how  it  should  read  the  wisdom  of 
the  whole  through  the  Holy  Spirit  would  determine 
that ;  but  I  may  give  my  judgment,  seeing  you  ask  it. 
I  am  of  the  opinion  that  it  should  be  very  short.  The 
Apostles'  Creed  is  short,  and  I  think  it  is  the  best 
Confession  of  Faith  framed  by  man.  As  I  may  return 
to  that  later  I  will  not  say  more  about  it  now.  I 
think  the  Covenant  should  read  somewhat  as  follows : 
'We  the  undersigned,  being  disciples  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  by  faith  and  confession,  and  observing  that 
He  has  commanded  us  to  love  one  another  and  be 
fellow-helpers,  hereby  confess  with  sorrow  how  far 
we  have  come  short  of  obedience,  having  had  very 
little  regard  to  our  brethren,  which  we  know  to  be 
wrong ;  now  therefore  repenting  of  our  covetousness 
and  self-love  and  begging  His  forgiveness  whom 
we  have  dishonored  and  grieved,  we  hereby  enter 
into  covenant  one  with  another  to  labor  together  in 
secular  work  for  our  mutual  needs,  also  to  comfort 
and  assist  each  other  as  far  as  lies  in  our  power  in 
body  and  in  spirit;  and  promise  that  we  will  stand 
loyally  and  lovingly  by  each  other,  praying  God  that 
our  association  may  always  be  pure  and  acceptable 
in  His  sight  (Signed)'.  Of  course  John,  this  is  only 


198  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

suggestive;  it  is  but  a  rough  draft  written  on  the 
instant  and  is  capable  of  improvement." 

"Well,  dear  Dad,  it  contains  the  sense  of  the  agree- 
ment, and  it  is  good  not  to  let  that  be  obscured  by 
verbiage." 

"John,  God  sparing  my  life  and  if  it  shall  seem  to 
me  His  will,  I  will  again  take  up  the  thread  of  the 
present  discourse  upon  the  Community  life  and 
describe  it  as  I  think  it  should  be  to  be  enduring  and 
profitable." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
Life  in  the  Christian  Community 


"I  WANT,  my  son  John,  before  proceeding  further 
with  the  practical  sketch  of  the  new  System  of  living 
in  this  world,  to  throw  out  a  few  casual  remarks 
upon  several  involved  matters  not  of  the  main  con- 
sideration. I  have  called  the  System  'new' — The  New 
System  of  Christian  Living/  I  do  not  mean  absolute- 
ly new;  I  mean  new  only  with  the  signification  that 
it  is  new  to  us  of  this  generation.  I  have  told  you  it 
obtained  largely  in  the  first  three  centuries  of  the 
Christian  era;  hence  it  is  old,  very  old;  and  that  is 
the  right  way  to  think  of  it,  namely,  as  'the  old  path, 
the  good  way'  of  the  Apostles,  their  contemporaries 
and  their  successors  for  several  generations.  Then 
there  is  another  thing.  It  is  not  thought  nor  sug- 
gested that  all  the  ways  of  the  early  Christians 
can  or  should  be  copied  by  us  of  to-day.  There  is  a 
great  difference  in  the  construction  of  Society  now; 
and  as  we  say  'circumstances  alter  cases.'  That  is 
to  say,  with  an  environment  different  the  filling  in 
must  be  modified.  Not  the  principles,  John ;  love  to 
all  saints  remains  eternally  for  the  family  of  God. 
And  that  means,  with  me,  love  in  action.  Then  I 
use  the  word  'Community'  not  in  the  sense  of  every- 
body being  housed  in  one  building,  with  chambers  of 
restricted  size  and  dim  light  and  as  uncomfortable 
as  can  be  made — for  mortification  of  the  flesh.  Away 


200  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

with  the  idea  of  being  buried  as  a  stiff !  God  does  not 
mean  that  by  saying  we  must  be  dead  to  the  world. 
Community,  as  I  use  it,  means  an  associated  life 
organized  into  one  for  practical  purposes,  co-opera- 
tion. There  may  be  a  house  of  many  apartments  for 
single  persons  with  houses  of  all  sizes  for  families; 
but  all  are  a  single  working  body.  Of  that  more 
presently.  But  I  particularly  wish  to  impress  on 
you  that  Community,  with  me,  is  not  monastic  se- 
clusion or  a  hermit's  life.  Still  my  thought  of  Com- 
munity carries  with  it  propinquity — nearness  of  resi- 
dence for  the  members  of  each  Community  for  con- 
venience sake — say,  if  not  all  living  on  a  square,  on 
lots  near  each  other." 

"I  can  see,  Dad,  the  disadvantage  of  co-workers 
far  apart,  making  consultation  difficult  and  really 
separating  them.  Ready  access  to  one  another  de- 
mands neighborhood  settlement." 

"John,  I  now  proceed  with  my  sketch.  We  were 
at  the  point  where  the  earnest  company  of  believers 
had  ended  their  'say'  on  the  business  before  the 
meeting.  And  now  they  are  about  to  act,  accord- 
ing to  the  rule — 

'Say  well  is  good, 

Do  well  is  better; 
Do  well  is  the  spirit 

Say  well  is  the  letter/ 

It  is  a  crisis !  Every  turning  to  the  will  of  God  is  a 
crisis.  They  decide  no  longer  to  prowl  about  as 
beasts  of  prey,  at  times  hungry  and  then  in  a  fight 
for  a  quarry.  It  is  the  jungle  life,  and  they  are 
men,  Christians.  Why  should  they  seek  work  and 
seek  it  often  in  vain,  and  know  want?  Why  should 
they  have  to  compete  for  a  job  or  a  contract?  The 
die  is  cast.  Christ's  way  of  love,  of  partnership,  of 
good  fellowship  is  better;  and  they  decide  to  be  all 
good  men  together,  and  not  go  beyond  nor  defraud 


Life  in  the  Christian  Community     201 

their  brother  in  any  matter.  They  agree  to  be  one. 
Each  subscribes  his  name  bona  fide.  But  now  begins 
taking  stock  of  their  assets,  or  means ;  and  each  one 
makes  a  show  down  of  what  is  in  his  hand.  One 
brother  says,  'I  have  $10,000  cash/  Another,  'And 
I  have  $5,000.'  Another,  'I  have  a  few  lots,  free  or 
with  a  little  incumbrance  upon  them/  Another,  'I 
have  a  farm  of  forty  acres,  slightly  improved/  An- 
other, 'I  have  neither  money  nor  land;  but  I  have 
skill  as  a  carpenter  and  energy  and  the  will  to  work/ 
And  a  painter,  a  bricklayer,  a  plasterer,  a  plumber, 
a  cement-worker,  a  laborer,  a  tailor,  a  farm  hand,  a 
teacher  of  music,  in  turn  say  they  are  mechanics,  or 
tradesmen  or  instructors,  but  have  no  money,  till 
twenty  of  them  have  shown  their  hands.  All  agree 
to  put  in  what  they  have,  with  their  hearts  full  of 
love  and  rejoicing  that  they  have  at  last  seen  one  of 
the  days  of  the  Son  of  man — not  yet  a  day  of  His 
glorious  majesty,  but  a  day  of  the  glory  of  His 
gracious  working  in  believing  hearts." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  imagine  the  Doxology  would  be  in 
place  here." 

"John,  the  laws  of  this  world  require  that  property 
must  be  in  some  name — how  shall  the  assets  be  held, 
and  disbursed?  They  decide  it  shall  be  placed  in 
the  hands  of  a  holding  company,  which  shall  act  as 
trustee  for  the  Community,  with  a  deed  that  shall 
make  it  forever  inalienable;  to  guard  against  any 
thief  stealing  it — under  forms  of  law.  A  treasurer 
and  secretary  are  appointed,  and  a  chairman,  for 
order.  No  office  is  salaried.  The  name  of  the  trus- 
tee company  is  THE  CHRISTIAN  BROTHERS  HOLDING 
COMPANY.  This  day  is  to  them  the  beginning  of  days 
of  a  new  era.  It  is  a  day  in  which  they  declare 
their  independence  of  the  graft-world,  of  the  world 
of  nasty  selfishness.  They  decide  to  keep  it  annually 
as  a  memorial  for  ever.  And  the  day  we  get  out  of 


202  The  New  Christian  Syste  mof  Living 

the  clutches  of  robbers  is  worthy  of  such  remem- 
brance !" 

"Dear  Dad,  about  how  many  members,  do  you 
think,  would  be  sufficient  to  make  one  group  such  as 
you  speak  of  that  could  supply  the  mutual  needs  of 
its  membership  ?" 

"I  have  not  definitely  settled  that  question,  John; 
but  I  think  certainly  not  less  than  twelve  and  not 
more  than  twenty.  These  would  generally  be  hus- 
bands and  represent  families,  although  young  men 
and  women  could  also  find  employment  and  be  very 
serviceable  in  a  Community.  It  should  be  large 
enough  so  that  no  help  would  have  to  be  hired,  and 
not  so  large  that  there  would  be  a  great  surplusage 
of  labor.  But  one  could  tell  better  about  this  after 
experience." 

"How  would  the  brothers  and  sisters  be  employed, 
dear  Dad?" 

"They  would  do  work  at  the  trades  they  had 
learned  and  followed  before  becoming  associated — 
eight  hours'  labor  to  the  day,  to  begin  with.  No- 
body would  be  over  another,  except  as  a  director  of 
the  work  upon  any  job,  and  these  might  be  changed 
occasionally.  Every  part  would  be  equally  honor- 
able ;  nobody  could  have  the  feeling  that  he  was  con- 
sidered an  underling." 

"What  would  be  the  very  first  business,  Dad,  in 
a  Community?" 

"Building  of  houses,  that  every  one  might  have  a 
home  for  himself  and  family.  The  money  would  be 
used  first  to  buy  material,  which  the  craftsmen 
would  work  up ;  and  the  general  treasury  would  be 
drawn  upon  for  furniture  and  to  buy  provisions  that 
were  not  produced  by  the  brothers.  Wages  would 
not  be  paid ;  all  services  would  be  rendered  for  love, 
the  workmen  being  guaranteed  support.  In  fact, 
the  Community  would  assure  each  other  all  necessa- 


Life  in  the  Christian  Community     203 

ries  and  the  usual  things  of  an  ordinary  family.  For 
example,  I  said  the  first  thing  would  be  to  domicile 
the  members.  The  houses  would  be  of  all  sizes — 
three  rooms  for  husband  and  wife ;  four,  five  or  six 
for  larger  families.  They  would  be  modern  and  fur- 
nished with  full  conveniences.  One  would  be  no  bet- 
ter than  the  other;  but  there  would  be  a  variety  of 
architecture.  No  severe  or  dead  uniformity  would 
be  followed.  They  would  be  homes  that  are  homes 
indeed;  only  extravagancies  would  be  cut  out.  No 
debts  would  be  incurred  for  the  buildings  or  the  fur- 
nishings. No  mortgage  would  encumber  the  Broth- 
erhood. Interest  would  not  be  paid  to  anybody. 
Things  would  be  bought  only  as  fast  as  they  could 
be  paid  for.  'Keep  out  of  debt/  would  be  a  hard  and 
fast  rule." 

"Dear  Dad,  that  is  what  makes  thousands  so  mis- 
erable— they  have  of  necessity  to  go  in  debt.  A  lady 
said  recently :  'I  should  be  so  happy  if  I  could  only 
pay  my  debts/  " 

"John,  that  would  be  one  of  the  satisfactory  con- 
ditions of  the  new  Christian  System,  nobody  would 
ever  be  dunned  for  money  he  did  not  have  to  pay  his 
debts/' 

"Dear  Dad,  you  said,  homes  for  all  would  be  first ; 
of  course  the  members  must  have  food  and  clothing 
as  well ;  and  gas,  light,  water,  etc.,  would  have  to  be 
provided  while  the  buildings  were  in  process  of  con- 
struction." 

"Certainly,  John,  and  the  start  would  make  the 
greatest  drain  on  the  resources,  for  when  the  houses 
were  up  and  furnished  money  would  not  be  required 
for  material,  except  for  extensions  and  repairs." 

"How  much  money — real  cash — do  you  think,  Dad, 
it  would  take  to  house  twenty  families  of  varying 
sizes,  two  to  six  persons  each?  I  mean,  if  nothing 
had  to  be  paid  for  the  ground," 


204  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"I  should  be  willing  to  undertake  to  build  accom- 
modations for  twenty  families,  furniture  not  in- 
cluded, for  fifteen  thousand  dollars;  putting  this 
number  on  a  self-sustaining  basis.*  If  a  rich  man, 
good  kind,  would  give  this  amount,  it  would  be  the 
work  of  his  life-time !  What  reflections  would  be  his 
at  seeing  so  many  families  relieved  forever  of  the 
burden  of  rent!  May  God  put  it  into  the  heart  of 
somebody  to  give  this  amount ;  and  into  the  heart  of 
another  to  contribute  $5,000  for  the  furnishings  of 
the  houses." 

"How  about  lots,  dear  Dad?" 

"I  know  these  can  be  had,  subject  to  some  incum- 
brance,  which  could  be  paid  off.  There  may  be  others 
with  clear  lots  who  would  prefer  to  make  them  a 
blessing  to  men  than  keep  them  to  yield  an  income 
for  themselves.  I  believe,  the  money  being  forthcom- 
ing for  the  building  material,  the  housing  of  the 
brethren  can  be  considered  settled." 

"Well,  that  would  be  splendid  for  a  start,  Dad; 
each  to  have  a  nice,  new,  comfortably  furnished 
house,  with  no  rent  to  pay,  and  no  bills  for  light,  gas, 
or  water.  But  there  is  still  the  matter  of  provisions 
for  their  keep,  and  clothing." 

"John,  if  some  Christian  brother  in  the  adjacent 
country  would  put  in  a  twenty,  forty  or  eighty-acre 
farm,  there  would  be  meat,  vegetables,  fruit,  butter, 
milk  in  abundance.  And  I  believe  some  good  man 
would  consider  himself  as  well  off  then  as  he  is  now, 
if  guaranteed  a  living  for  himself  and  family;  for 

*  Although  $15,000  is  named  as  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of 
putting  a  Community  of  twenty  families  upon  its  feet  as  a 
fully  supplied  and  self-sustaining  institution,  much  less,  say 
$5,000,  would  be  enough  to  begin  with  if  the  number  of  Com- 
munity families  were  reduced  to  about  six  or  seven.  The 
smaller  Association  could  not  co-operate  quite  so  effectively; 
yet  it  would  prove  much  better  than  the  prevailing  system, 
with  its  unemployment  contingencies  and  general  handicap  I 
have  no  doubt. 


Life  in  the  Christian  Community     205 

now  it  often  happens  that  a  rancher  has  not  sufficient 
money  to  develop  his  farm,  and  with  his  agricultural 
outfit  can  only  bring  in  a  fraction  of  his  holding,  hav- 
ing a  hard  time  to  get  along.  But  with  all  in  cultiva- 
tion he  would  get  full  supply  for  himself  with  prod- 
uce also  for  his  brother." 

"Dad,  there  may  not  be  found  such  a  person,  but  a 
Community  farm  might  be  hired  for  a  little." 

"That  could  be  arranged,  doubtless,  by  looking 
around ;  and  all  would  know  that  they  had  pure  and 
fresh  food." 

"Dad,  what  about  transportation,  storage  and  dis- 
tribution?" 

"John,  the  Community  must  have  its  own  auto.  It 
might  be  one  that  could,  by  putting  on  a  top,  be  con- 
verted at  once  into  a  riding  auto,  as  well  as  a  truck  to 
bring  in  food  from  the  farm;  and  there  must  be  a 
storehouse  (barn)  to  receive  it.  Then  somebody 
could  be  in  charge,  to  go  round  every  morning,  take 
orders  for  things  wanted,  and  deliver  the  goods  in 
the  afternoon,  all  without  price-bill  and  weekly  col- 
lection of  dues;  unless  the  houses  were  within  a 
block  or  so  and  tables  were  set  in  a  dining  room  for 
all,  and  all  shared  from  the  same  joints  and  dishes. 
That  is  a  mere  incident  to  be  arranged." 

"How  about  reading — a  library,  the  newspapers 
and  meetings?" 

"John,  a  special  building  would  meet  these  re- 
quirements— comfortable,  cheery,  worthy  of  such  an 
excellent  Community.  And  Ministry  there  would  be, 
without  hireling  wages.  He  who  waited  on  holy 
things — gave  all  his  time  to  them — would  share  like 
the  rest." 

"What,  Dad!  no  distinction  in  social  standing;  no 
extras  for  professional  services  ?" 

"John,  still  of  the  earth  earthly!  Still  thinking 
of  the  system  judged  and  condemned!  Still  turning 


206  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

in  mind  to  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt !  The  highest  title 
and  honor  in  the  world  is  being  a  brother  in  Christ ; 
except  that  he  may  be  higher  in  esteem  and  love  who 
is  an  elder  and  has  ruled  and  counselled  well.  Pro- 
fessionals in  a  Theocracy :  it  is  to  laugh !  or  cry !  In 
Father's  house  titles  are  an  abomination." 

"Very  democratic,  dear  Dad!" 

"Very,  John,  when  you  come  to  the  people  of  God! 
I  think  very  highly  of  the  people — such  people!  I 
take  off  my  hat  to  them  in  reverence,  but  not  in  wor- 
ship. I  keep  my  hat  on  before  canonicals,  scarlet 
and  purple  images.  The  priests  of  Baal  or  Mammon 
are  not  as  the  people  of  the  Most  High  God — the 
'common'  people,  if  any  like  to  talk  that  way." 

"Would  you  have  the  Community  dress  in  drab, 
Dad?" 

"Yes,  those  who  prefer  drab  to  black,  or  grey,  or 
brown,  or  a  mixture ;  every  man  to  his  taste.  There 
would  be  bolts  of  cloth  on  the  shelves,  and  it  would 
be  'Take  your  choice.'  A  good  tailor  is  available  to 
make  every  fellow  a  new  suit,  some  of  whom  are  at 
present  hardly  presentable  at  the  seat  and  frazzled 
around  the  feet.  The  Community  would  buy  cloth  at 
wholesale  and  wear  substantial  clothes.  Father  is 
good  for  it!  He  says  His  children  must  not  be  ex- 
travagant and  fops  are  not  to  His  liking;  but 
clothes  that  will  wear,  that  are  not  rubbish,  I  am 
sure  He  would  have  us  possess.  He  certainly  would 
not  have  us  waste  money  on  trash." 

"And  how  about  the  women,  Dad  ?" 

"Tailor-made  suits  to  order :  think  of  it !  Nothing 
to  pay  for  them ;  and  no  charge  for  alterations." 

"And  the  children,  Dad?" 

"Dear  children!  Community  would  be  full  of 
them!  It  could  keep  them,  and  school  them,  and 
teach  them  honest  trades.  Why,  John,  I  believe  I 
could  give  children  such  a  curriculum  as  would  make 


Life  in  the  Christian  Community     207 

them  far  above  the  average  of  the  common-school 
students.  The  basis  of  all  would  be  knowledge  of 
God  and  love  to  man.  I  wish  I  had  a  chance.  If  a 
Community  shall  ever  materialize,  I  hope  they  will 
put  me  on  the  school  board.  I  am  not  speaking  idly ; 
I  mean  it." 

"Well,  the  laws  and  the  lawyers — what  about 
them,  Dad?" 

"You  have  hit  me,  John,  where  I  am  sore.  The 
Community  will  have  Jesus'  laws;  not  enactments 
which  are  largely  a  frame-up  of  mischief,  contempti- 
ble, unjust,  the  joy  of  the  wicked  rich.  The  laws 
that  are  good  are  not  available  to  those  who  have  no 
money.  And  the  lawyers — pleaders  for  pay,  per- 
verters  of  righteousness — woe,  woe,  woe  to  the  peo- 
ple among  whom  they  come !  They  would  never  be 
admitted  to  Community.  Upon  repentance  and  by 
employing  themselves  in  better  business  they  might 
be  received  as  others.  What  cases  of  dispute  might 
arise  would  be  settled  in  a  jiffy,  by  an  incorruptible 
Patriarch,  who  would  not  think  of  a  fee.  Ruling  in 
the  fear  of  God  he  would  administer  justice  so  far 
as  fallible  man  can  do  so." 

"But  tea,  coffee,  sugar  and  many  things  that  could 
not  be  raised  would  have  to  be  bought,  Dad." 

"And  they  would  be,  John.  I  know  what  was  in 
your  mind,  Where  would  the  money  come  from  ?" 

"Yes,  where  would  the  money  come  from,  Dad? 
for  it  would  take  a  great  deal  of  money  to  make  pro- 
vision and  do  all  the  things  you  have  said." 

"Money,  John?  Well,  since  the  avaricious  world 
will  not  get  along  without  it  we  should  have  to  get  it 
— for  them.  Not  for  ourselves;  nobody  among  us 
will  get  a  salary.  They  will  get,  however,  the  full 
supply  of  their  needs,  with  never  a  care  or  worry 
about  inability  to  get  enough  money  to  pay  expenses. 
And  they  can  have  a  little  of  the  'filthy  lucre'  to  defile 


208  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

their  pockets  and  their  hands!  (Must  have  a  little 
of  it  for  the  obsessed  world!)  This  is  how  it  would 
be  procured:  when  not  working  for  the  brethren 
the  members  would  do  outside  jobs  for  pay,  like  oth- 
ers, and  put  it  into  the  common  treasury.  Unless  it 
was  work  for  a  widow  of  slender  circumstances  and 
other  poor  persons,  and  it  was  voted,  say,  to  go  out 
for  a  couple  or  three  days  (all  hands)  and  build  her 
or  them  a  house,  for  the  love  of  Christ !  I  am  sure 
there  would  be  money.  The  wasted  time  between 
job  and  job  under  the  present  system,  by  itself,  is  a 
fortune.  We  should  have  to  use  the  stuff  we  loathed 
among  the  deceived,  and  an  industrious  Community 
could  secure  all  that  would  be  needed." 

"And  what  about  vacations,  Dad?" 

"John,  you  do  not  begin  to  realize  what  lay-offs, 
short  days,  excursions,  country  outings  the  Commu- 
nity System  would  afford  her  members,  after  first 
getting  settled.  They  would  have  to  be  busy  then, 
busy  as  bees;  but  afterwards,  treats  in  the  open 
galore!  They  would  get  to  know  God's  beautiful 
world.  Only  the  rich  can  do  that  now." 

"Dad,  you  talk  as  one  in  an  ecstasy." 

"You  are  right,  John,  I  am  in  an  ecstacy,  or  as 
one  in  a  dream;  only  the  dream  of  the  Christian 
System  of  living  changes  into  transporting  reality 
when  we  pass  from  the  captivity  and  tortures  of 
capitalism,  of  the  greed  system,  into  the  emancipa- 
tion of  the  new  and  holy  System.  As  said  David: 
'When  the  Lord  turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zion, 
we  were  like  them  that  dream.  Then  was  our  mouth 
filled  with  laughter  and  our  tongue  with  singing: 
then  said  they  among  the  heathen,  The  Lord  hath 
done  great  things  for  them!  The  Lord  hath  done 
great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad.'  To  dream 
the  good  clairvoyantly  and  then  stand  in  the  midst 
of  it  is  good  dreaming  and  good  having." 


Life  in  the  Christian  Community     209 

"Dad,  you  anticipate  every  sort  of  relief  and  en- 
joyment in  the  System  you  visualize." 

"Alas,  no,  John;  we  cannot  go  to  a  new  country 
where  the  plunderbus  does  not  reach.  Utopia  is  no 
man's  land;  is  not  a  country  at  all.  With  the  best 
system  that  can  be  devised,  the  best  for  working  our 
good,  still  the  exploiter  and  extortioner  lays  his 
hands  upon  us  in  many  things.  We  have  to  live  on 
his  territory.  He  gets  us  in  innumerable  ways. 
This  we  must  endure.  But  we  can  reduce  his  harm 
to  a  minimum,  and  make  for  ourselves  the  maximum 
of  comfort — if  we  will ;  and  we  are  fools  if  we  will 
not.  As  Shakespeare  makes  a  character  in  one  of  his 
plays  say,  'What  fools  we  mortals  be!'  But  I  want 
to  tell  you  one  of  the  most  charming  things  of  Com- 
munity life — the  comfort  it  is  to  the  aged.  Homes 
for  the  aged,  where  they  live  apart  from  the  rest  of 
Society,  is  not  ideal  for  people  on  the  western  slope 
of  life  as  that  where  middle-age  and  especially  young 
life  touches  them  with  respect  and  cherishing  love; 
and  this  is  found  in  Community  alone." 

"Dear  Dad,  the  experience  of  the  old  under  the  ex- 
isting industrial  system  is  tragic !  Amazing  that  the 
Church  is  not  aroused  to  sleepless  and  resolute 
action  of  relief  and  provision  to  end  the  present 
dreadful  conditions !" 

"Well,  John,  it  is  all  different  in  the  new  System 
of  Christian  living  together.  I  know  that  the  aged 
working  man  in  this  unnatural  generation  and  evil 
social  system  is  considered  and  spoken  of  as  'in  the 
way/  a  'burden/  one  who  has  'outlived  his  useful- 
ness/ It  is  a  shameful  story,  and  I  may  tell  it  later. 
At  present  I  only  speak  of  age  in  the  covenanted  life 
of  mutual  love  and  support,  and  I  want  you  to  see 
and  feel  how  happy  it  is.  It  warms  the  coccles  of 
my  heart  to  see  the  good  old  man  in  Community.  He 
dwells  in  the  bosom  of  all.  Fathers  and  children 


210  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

alike  do  him  honor,  rising  at  his  approach,  saluting 
him  with  signs  of  pleasure.  This  new  Social  System 
is  a  paradise  for  the  aged;  and  for  that  alone,  if  it 
had  no  other  recommendation,  it  ought  to  be  estab- 
lished." 

"Dear  Dad,  please  tell  me  the  standing  of  the  old 
man  in  the  new  System  of  Christian  social  life." 

"With  pleasure,  John.  In  the  first  place  he  is  con- 
sidered a  veteran.  You  know  what  a  veteran  is — he 
is  a  man  who  has  been  through  the  war,  continued 
loyal,  fought  bravely,  and  deserves  honorable  men- 
tion and  the  support  of  his  country.  He  is  not  one 
to  be  shoved  out  of  the  way  by  any  hoodlum  and  be 
left  in  disgrace  to  perish.  In  Community  he  is  con- 
sidered a  great  asset.  His  experience,  accumulated 
wisdom,  disciplined  spirit  are  prized,  and  Com- 
munity avails  itself  of  them  for  its  benefit.  Now, 
when  with  age  brethren  begin  to  lose  the  natural 
energy  that  with  skill  makes  for  results  in  the  trade 
they  follow,  they  are  affectionately  told  to  take  a 
siesta  at  noon,  of  sufficient  length  to  bring  them 
back  to  vigor.  And  they  are  further  told  they  may 
quit  their  trade  altogether  at  their  pleasure  for  any 
other  occupation  to  their  mind  that  is  lighter.  The 
rules  that  apply  to  the  able-bodied  and  youthful  are 
relaxed  or  suspended  altogether  in  their  favor  at 
their  choice.  They  are  not  driven  from  their  calling 
as  inefficient.  Love  does  not  make  quantity  the  basis 
of  satisfaction.  It  is  not  a  question  of  quantum  at 
all;  but  of  ability  and  of  work  without  strain.  So 
the  old  man  may  at  any  time  lay  down  his  tools,  say 
to  do  light  gardening,  or  anything  to  keep  up  the 
establishment  or  beautify  the  place.  But  the  especial 
use  to  which  the  old  are  put  is  for  instruction  and 
entertainment  of  the  children  and  for  counsel  in 
regard  to  the  general  good  of  the  Society.  And  here 
they  are  at  home  and  most  happy.  They  realize  that 


Life  in  the  Christian  Community     211 

instead  of  being  'good  for  nothing'  their  life  is  one 
of  great  benefit;  so  much  so  that  they  say  to  them- 
selves the  Community  'could  not  do  without  them/ 
and  they  rejoice  in  living.  They  have  an  object  in 
living:  they  are  not  just  waiting  to  be  'carried  off 
in  a  box/  as  a  dead  horse.  No,  no;  just  come  with 
me  and  see  one  of  our  old  men  who  has  stood  up 
against  the  storms  of  life.  He  has  made  this  beau- 
tiful green  lawn.  It  was  he  who  planted  these  rose 
bushes,  full  of  lovely  flowers.  See  how  nicely  he  has 
weeded  around  the  cement  walk.  He  takes  delight  in 
his  work,  and  is  proud  as  he  shows  it  to  others.  A 
little  girl  has  just  run  smilingly  up  to  'grandpa/  to 
have  a  talk  with  him.  She  is  not  afraid  of  him,  nor 
shy  as  of  a  stranger.  She  pours  out  her  little  heart 
in  her  child-like  prattle  into  his  ears,  and  he  feels 
young  like  her  as  he  talks  back.  He  is  to  'fix'  her  a 
swing,  make  her  a  draw-cart,  do  anything  that  will 
cause  her  little  heart  to  be  merry.  He  will,  in  the 
afternoon,  when  Willie  comes  home  from  school,  go 
into  the  Community  workship  and  teach  his  Willie — 
for  all  the  children  belong  to  him  and  are  his,  as  well 
as  their  parents' — how  to  handle  tools  and  make  arti- 
cles; perhaps  among  them  some  present  for  his 
mother  for  Christmas.  Meanwhile  he  will  talk  to 
the  children  about  the  Good  One  who  is  the  All- 
Father,  and  His  Good  Son  our  Saviour,  and  what  it 
is  to  be  a  good  man.  Occasionally  he  meets  other 
aged  brothers,  and  sitting  together  they  suggest  to 
each  other  improvements  for  'our  place'  and  the 
benefit  of  all  the  Commoners,  and  also  work  for  those 
outside.  By  and  by  when  he  dies  (if  we  do  not  all 
live  until  the  Lord's  Second  Advent)  'devout  men* 
will  tenderly  carry  him  to  his  burial,  repeat  his  good 
deeds,  weep  over  his  loss,  but  rejoice  in  hope  of 
reunion  in  a  better  life.  The  'hoary  head'  has  found 
comfort  in  this  life,  and  like  Simeon  departed  in 


212  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

peace  to  his  rest.  This  is  a  benefit  of  incalculable 
good;  it  can  only  be  a  reality  in  the  united  life. 
Everybody  who  has  a  father  growing  old  should 
want  it  for  father's  sake.  John,  it  appeals  to  me 
wonderfully  to  have  it  a  fact  as  well  as  vision." 

"I  must  say,  dear  Dad,  I  never  was  so  moved  to 
pray  and  work  as  I  am  now  for  the  new  System  of 
living.  For  father's  sake,  for  mother's  sake,  God 
grant  to  bless  to  success  the  attempt  to  reach  an 
end  so  holy,  so  good !" 


CHAPTER  XV. 
Reasons  for  the  Community  Life 


"STILL  further  must  I  describe  to  you,  my  Beloved, 
the  life  of  those  who  have  fled  out  of  the  world  to 
find  refuge  in  the  blessed  Communal  System  of 
brotherly  love.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  tree  of  singing 
birds?  My,  but  how  sweet  was  their  music!  Dear 
hearts,  they  warbled  forth  the  praise  of  their  Maker 
as  they  could,  to  the  fullness  of  bird  capacity.  To 
us  it  is  given  to  be  praiseful,  if  our  hearts  be  but 
right,  in  a  higher  way.  John,  I  hold  that  every 
person  should  be  taught  the  power  of  his  vocal 
organs  and  be  instructed  in  singing.  I  hold  also 
that  all  should  be  able  to  play  some  musical  instru- 
ment. Why?  That  they  may  express  their  emotive 
nature.  That  they  may  be  capable  of  pouring  out 
their  joy  to  God!  You  can  be  a  happier  Christian 
if  you  can  sing  and  play.  If  you  can  do  neither  you 
must  ever  remain  stunted.  It  is  the  old  truism  that 
expression  makes  for  development;  tends  to  matur- 
ity of  being.  No  exercise,  and  men,  like  plants, 
shrivel  up,  wither  away.  Therefore  one  member  of 
Community  is  a  music-teacher.  His  or  her  ministry 
is  great.  The  cause  of  joy  is  the  love  of  God,  in 
nature  and  in  grace;  the  sweet  fellowship  of  like- 
minded  saints.  It  is  deep  in  the  hearts  of  the  God- 
gladdened.  Happy  are  they  who  know  how  to  pour 
it  out,  and  who  are  always  at  it!  The  consecrated 


214  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

man  or  woman  who  teaches  the  folk  'how'  are  of  our 
best  people !" 

"Yes,  dear  Dad,  and  who  has  not  heard  those  who 
have  not  had  advantages  of  a  musical  education 
speak  regretfully  of  their  deficiency?  And  partic- 
ularly those  who,  being  saved,  have  wanted  to  sing 
and  play.  No  doubt  everybody  would  have  learned 
these  branches  of  knowledge  in  their  ordinary  school 
course  (they  are  doing  it  now)  had  not  caste-men 
and  silk-stocking  women  in  the  old  countries,  from 
whence  our  citizens  have  come,  conspired  to  keep 
the  people  from  what  they  boasted  was  one  of  the 
accomplishments  and  distinguishing  marks  of  the 
gentry.  In  earlier  days  it  used  to  be  said  that  the 
common  people  were  being  over-educated  for  their 
station." 

"Well,  John,  all  the  Community  people  sing  and 
play.  The  old  theory,  we  are  told,  that  only  some 
are  capable  of  singing,  has  been  exploded  as  untrue. 
Highest  authorities  affirm  that  there  are  organs  that 
can  be  attuned  in  every  anatomy;  though  some  per- 
sons may  not  acquire  proficiency  as  rapidly  as 
others;  and  also,  through  long  neglect,  may  not  be 
able  to  sing  perfectly.  Singing,  like  talking,  is 
common  to  all  in  the  new  Society.  But  John,  there 
are  far  higher  benefits  than  the  material  and  senti- 
mental ones  named;  there  are  the  spiritual  advan- 
tages of  the  life.  I  know  spiritualities  are  nothing 
to  the  world,  as  colors  are  nothing  to  a  blind  man. 
I  know  the  world  is  very  real  and  eagerly  sought  by 
millions  who  are  utterly  ignorant  of  Him  who  made 
it,  but  who  hides  Himself  as  to  His  personal  Being. 
But  it  is  not  so  with  those  who  would  be  attracted  to 
the  Communal  life;  they  would  be  religious.  They 
could  not  commit  themselves  to  this  way  of  living 
unless  they  were.  And  fellowship  is,  with  them,  of 


Reasons  for  the  Community  Life    215 

great  price !  Fellowship  which  is  identification  with 
God,  His  ways  and  His  plans,  and  that  works  with 
Him  for  their  control  in  everything." 

"Fellowship  with  God,  dear  Dad,  is  no  notion.  It 
is,  with  all  of  us,  either  fellowship  with  the  Divine 
or  with  Satan.  It  is  in  union  with  Satan  that  wicked 
men  work.  All  exploiters,  all  who  fatten  from  the 
sweat  of  others,  are  certainly  co-workers  with  man's 
chief  adversary." 

"Dear  John,  there  are  three  reasons  for  the  exist- 
ence of  the  life  of  Associate  dwelling  and  work.  The 
first  is  that  of  obedience  to  Authority — divine  com- 
mandment; the  second  is  the  economic  reason — 
necessity,  in  order  to  live  free  from  care,  with  "a 
requisite  sustenance;  the  third  reason  is  that  of 
spiritual  affinity — oneness  of  heart,  in  things  per- 
taining to  God,  righteousness  and  love." 

"Dear  Dad,  anything  for  which  there  can  be  given 
sufficient  reasons,  especially  where  that  thing  is  nec- 
essary, is  also  obligatory." 

"John,  what  you  say  is  true,  obligation  is  begotten 
of  good  reasons  for  an  act ;  especially  when  there  is 
very  urgent  necessity.  I  have  said  there  exists  three 
reasons  for  the  brotherly  Community  life.  The  first 
is  the  reason  of  Authority.  Authority  comes  to  us 
in  commandments.  Commandments  are  either  im- 
plicit or  explicit.  Implicit  means  that  certain  action 
is  implied  as  obligation  in  a  verbatim  law.  It  may 
not  be  all  that  the  words  embrace  but  it  is  cer- 
tainly a  part,  by  fair  construction.  An  explicit  com- 
mandment requires  of  us  an  act  in  express  words 
specifying  that  act.  Now  the  general  law  for  be- 
lievers is  that  we  love  one  another;  and  love,  espe- 
cially when  it  is  service,  means  that  we  come  to- 
gether. Why  we  all  know  that  whom  we  love  we 
visit ;  and  if  we  love  ardently  our  visits  are  frequent. 


216  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

Indeed  we  are  loath  to  part  when  we  must.  There- 
fore to  be  together  with  our  fellow-Christians  is 
implied  in  loving  them.  It  is  not  claimed  that  there 
is  anywhere  in  the  New  Testament  an  express  com- 
mandment of  Christ,  or  of  the  Apostles  in  His 
name,  that  believers  must  live  the  Associate  life  to 
be  obedient  to  their  Lord.  It  is  not  the  genius  of  the 
Gospel  to  thus  carry  everything  into  detail.  We 
are  left  to  make  application  of  the  general  law  to 
special  cases.  What  is  asserted  is,  that  love,  which 
requires  nearness  for  service,  implies  being  in  prox- 
imity to  the  parties  served,  and  the  Community  life 
is  such  proximity — continued  indefinitely.  But 
though  there  is  as  I  have  said  no  explicit  law,  what 
Christians  actually  did  at  the  beginning  under  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  convincing  to  me  of  how  they  under- 
stood the  Lord's  will." 

"Dear  Dad,  if  we  did  nothing  but  what  was  com- 
manded in  very  words,  instead  of  according  to  the 
revealed  principles,  we  could  not  live  our  life  upon 
earth." 

"Now  the  next  reason,  John,  is  the  economic 
reason — neccessity.  That  is  to  say,  a  great  many 
persons  cannot  get  a  subsistence  as  life  now  is. 
They  cannot  find  employment.  Their  only  way  of 
survival  is  to  combine  and  work  for  one  another,  or 
rather  together,  for  the  benefit  of  all.  Voracity  and 
rapacity  eats  up  or  takes  away  all  one  has.  Ours  is 
a  frightful  world ;  except  to  the  incorporated  thieves 
and  their  paid  servants  who  act  as  their  agents  and 
are  their  accomplices.  The  companies  have  money 
and  power:  shall  we  die  at  their  malevolent  will? 
As  one  said  of  old,  I  answer,  'I  will  not  die  for  the 
devil/  And  so,  if  we  would  live,  we  must  hold  to- 
gether and  keep  one  another.  And  this  is  the  Com- 
munal life.  We  cannot  make  money  our  dependence 


Reasons  for  the  Community  Life    217 

who  have  none ;  but  we  can  pool  something  as  good, 
and  very  much  better  in  itself,  namely  work ;  and  by 
this  mutual  labor  we  can  express  our  brotherly  love." 

"Your  second  reason,  Dad,  is  a  good  one,  that  be- 
ing driven  to  do  something  to  live,  we  elect  the  fra- 
ternal way  of  co-operation  in  love. 

"Dear  John,  my  third  reason  is  the  great  one  for 
association,  it  is  that  of  spiritual  affinity.  That  word 
'affinity'  expresses  so  much ;  it  is  the  very  element  of 
adherence  of  Christian  to  Christian.  The  familiar 
figure  is  that  of  two  drops  of  water;  brought  to- 
gether, they  run  into  one.  Where  there  were  two 
there  is  now  but  a  single  globule.  They  had  affin- 
ity for  each  other,  and  have  of  twain  become  a  unit. 
There  is  between  real  children  of  God  a  great  affin- 
ity. (I  refer  not  to  carnal  attraction,  which  I  de- 
nounce as  unthinkable  with  the  spiritual.)  Spiritual 
affinity  tends  to  bring  believers  into  an  at-home  in- 
habitation in  a  holy  Society.  As  truly  as  the  cus- 
toms and  sins  of  the  world  are  repulsion  to  us,  so 
really  is  goodness  in  Christians  a  drawing  power, 
attraction.  And  a  whole  Society  of  good  people — 
how  can  we  resist  such  godly  magnetism!  Our  in- 
ward life  is  to  be  with  them  by  the  will  of  God ;  why 
not  our  outward  also  ?  We  must  be  with  them  very 
often,  for  Scripture  says,  'Not  forsaking  the  assem- 
bling of  yourselves  together,  as  the  manner  of  some 
is;'  why  not  be  with  them  altogether?  And  it  says, 
our  gatherings  must  be  oftener — 'so  much  the  more* 
— as  we  see  the  day  of  Christ  drawing  nigh:  why 
not  stay  with  them,  and  pray  together  and  exhort 
one  another  continually;  meanwhile  working  with 
our  hands  that  the  table  may  be  spread  with  life's 
necessaries?  Where  do  we  like  to  be  half  as  much 
as  with  the  saints?  Where  do  we  feel  strange  and 
restless  but  with  the  world  ?  Why  not  then  take  up 


218  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

our  abode  with  the  People  who  suit  us  so  well — the 
People  whose  company  we  enjoy — the  People  whose 
mind  is  heavenly  as  our  own — those  whose  communi- 
cations are  matters  of  such  interest  to  us?  And  that 
spells  the  Community." 

"Dear  Dad,  we  say  in  the  creed  'I  believe  in  the 
communion  of  saints/  and  in  a  Community  of  Chris- 
tian people  is  to  be  found  communion  to  our  heart's 
content.  If  it  is  heavenly  communion  we  are  after, 
it  is  in  a  Community  of  heavenly  people  we  shall 
find  it." 

"John,  coming  from  afar  once  or  even  twice  a 
week,  to  hear  a  sermon  and  worship  or  to  attend  a 
prayer-meeting,  cannot  be  like  the  fellowship  of  the 
Associate  life  lived  in  the  concord  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
In  the  latter  a  brother  becomes  a  brother  indeed. 
With  him  all  the  day  in  labor,  visiting  together  in  the 
evening,  taking  recreation  together,  worshipping  to- 
gether, cultivating  in  all  things  considerateness,  good 
will,  purest  affection,  we  live  at  the  very  gate  of 
heaven.  Nor  is  this  overdrawn  if  all  will  live  up  to 
the  agreement  of  their  covenant  to  be  genuine, 
ardent  lovers." 

"Dear  Dad,  the  spiritual  reason  of  the  new  Chris- 
tian System  of  living  is  really  the  reason.  It  is  the 
reason  of  reasons.  Necessity,  driving  us  together 
for  mutual  protection  and  common  supply  is  a  pow- 
erful incentive  to  partnership;  but  the  greatest  is 
mutual  assistance  in  fighting  and  overcoming  the 
world,  and  by  instruction,  admonition  and  prayer 
making  each  other  ready  for  the  appearing  in  glory 
of  our  common  Lord." 

"Dear  John,  think  in  how  many  things  we  who 
believe  are  of  spiritual  affinity.  We  are  the  same 
in  conviction  that  there  is  a  living  God  and  a  living 
Mediator  between  ourselves  and  the  Father,  who  is 


Reasons  for  the  Community  Life    219 

appointed  over  us  as  our  Lord  and  is  our  Redeemer- 
Saviour.  We  are  one  in  this  persuasion,  acceptance 
and  confession.  We  are  one  also  in  fealty  to  our 
King;  one  in  our  affection  for  Him  (and  also  for 
the  Father,  whose  executive  He  is) ;  one  in  belief  of 
the  Gospel  concerning  Himself  and  the  restoration  of 
God's  rule  upon  earth,  called  the  Kingdom  of  God, 
and  in  acceptance  of  His  words  as  the  law  of  our 
life;  one  in  setting  aside  by  renunciation  our  own 
likings  of  the  flesh  for  subordination  to  His  perfect 
sovereign  will.  We  are  one  also  in  our  aspirations 
and  supplications  and  giving  of  thanks  to  God  for 
ourselves,  the  brethren  and  all  men.  We  alike  aim 
at  and  sacrifice  for  the  blessing  of  others,  holding 
forth  the  torch  of  life,  testifying  the  love  and  won- 
derful works  of  God,  being  supporters  tff  him  who 
goes  forth  with  the  message  of  salvation  not  as  a 
hireling  or  for  money  but  as  called  thereto  by  the 
Distributer  of  ministries  and  Operator  in  the  one 
sent  and  constrained  by  love.  One  in  waiting  for  our 
Lord  in  exultant  hope  and  love — Who  will  not  forget 
us  nor  delay  longer  than  is  absolutely  necessary 
for  the  fulfillment  of  the  Divine  plan  His  absence 
from  us  toward  whom  He  yearns  so  ardently.  How 
great  is  our  affinity  in  spiritual  state,  in  work,  in 
ends  sought,  in  anticipation  of  the  future.  With 
all  these  things  in  common,  how  came  the  Church 
ever  to  break  up  her  common  domicile?  We  know 
how,  though  we  ask  the  question.  But  surely  we 
should  end  the  parting  carnality  and  flow  together 
in  near  dwelling  and  hand-in-hand  labor  and  holy 
and  acceptable  worship." 

"Dear  Dad,  you  talk  as  an  angel  of  heaven.  But 
have  you  thought  that  all  do  not  see  alike  in  all  mat- 
ters and  that  differences  of  judgment  might  prevent 
a  perfect  union  or  disrupt  one  that  might  be  formed, 


220  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

and  there  arise  a  scandal,  and  so  the  last  state  be 
worse  than  the  first.  How  could  that  be  avoided? 
Are  we  not  commanded  to  be  'perfectly  joined  to- 
gether in  the  same  judgment  and  in  the  same  mind?' 
And  how  could  that  be  where  Christians  differ  in 
convictions  and  usages?  Would  not  that  be  an  in- 
superable difficulty  in  the  life  of  Association  ?" 

"And,  John,  do  you  not  remember  that  we  are  like- 
wise commanded  to  endeavor  to  'keep  the  unity  of 
the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace/  and  to  dwell  in 
love  one  toward  another;  love  that  is  compassionate 
and  forbearing ;  love  that  is  humble  about  ourselves ; 
love  that  is  non-critical;  love  that  dares  not  charge 
any  with  wicked  intent  whose  apprehension  is  im- 
perfect. Such  a  condition  as  you  describe  is  a  test 
as  to  what  kind  of  persons  we  ourselves  are;  if  we 
are  of  the  assistive  or  unfriendly  sort.  As  to  dif- 
ferences, it  is  my  belief  that  you  would  see  most  of 
them  disappear  in  a  short  time  with  the  changed 
environment.  The  standpoint  of  looking  at  things 
spiritual  would  not  be  tradition,  usage,  sect,  gain. 
And  then  love  would  clarify  our  sight." 

"But  Dad,  some  say,  if  you  do  not  stand  as  ada- 
mant against  every  false  doctrine,  and  get  up  and 
criminate  everybody  who  slips  with  mind  and  lips, 
and  go  away  from  them  in  a  pet,  and  form  an  exclu- 
sive body  and  call  it  The  Church/  you  are  a  par- 
taker of  heresy  and  obnoxious  to  God." 

"I  know  them,  John;  and  I  know  that  while  they 
mean  right  they  are  very,  very  wrong  and  much 
worse  than  those  who  apprehend  and  define  imper- 
fectly; whom  they  should  teach,  teach  with  forbear- 
ance and  sympathy,  and  not  impatiently  and  with  a 
frown.  Certainly  they  should  not  abandon  tfiem  and 
hold  them  enemies  of  Christ.  The  grace  of  God 
makes  men  Christians,  not  critics.  The  spirit  we 


Reasons  for  the  Community  Life    221 

receive  from  Him  who  baptizes  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  a  healing,  not  a  wounding  spirit.  It  is  certain 
such  men  have  the  great  fault  of  being  imperfect  in 
love.  And  remember  love  is  the  basis  of  Community 
life." 

"But  Dad,  since  such  a  Community  as  you  picture 
is  a  religious  one,  a  body  of  believing  men  and 
women,  you  would  not  have  me  understand  that 
there  should  be  laxity  in  faith  and  obedience — the 
things  to  be  believed  and  the  commandments  to  be 
obeyed.  That  would  be  to  build  Babylon,  which 
means  Confusion.  Confusion  of  tongues  caused  sep- 
aration, it  never  could  establish  union." 

"John,  do  not  stretch  charity  toward  all  saints,  the 
real  maintenance  of  unity,  to  mean  that  anybody 
can  be  a  Mohammedan,  a  Parsee  or  a  Scientist  and 
yet  of  the  same  spiritual  affinity  and  one  consenting 
body.  There  are  assentials;  but  definitions  about 
everything  in  heaven  and  upon  earth  are  not  of  the 
essence  of  discipleship.  Many  doctrinaires  have 
gone  out  into  the  world,  zealous  for  their  interpre- 
tations of  Scripture  (frequently  they  are  not  so 
scrupulous  about  conduct).  They  are  mischievous 
men,  dividers  of  the  flock:  beware  of  them!  The 
sum  of  all  things  is,  love  to  God  and  man ;  carefully 
look  after  that.  Go  slowly  with  him  whose  spirit  is 
unfraternal;  who,  professing  conscience  for  the 
honor  of  God,  is  regardless  of  his  duty  of  love  to 
men.  The  two  can  be  maintained.  In  the  Christian 
Community  both  are  cultivated." 

"But  tell  me,  Dad,  how  is  this  worked  out  in  a 
Community  of  Christians?" 

"Certainly  I  will,  John.  In  the  first  instance  all 
consent  that  Holy  Scripture  is  the  book  of  God  and 
the  book  of  the  constitution  and  rules  of  governance 
and  history  of  His  church  at  the  beginning,  and 


222  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

agree  that  they  will  make  it  their  sole  standard  of 
faith  and  conduct,  the  book  of  their  consultation  in  all 
matters  and  the  arbiter  of  any  and  everything  that 
may  arise.  I  mean  the  Book  only;  not  opinions  of 
men,  church  usages,  the  pope,  or  any  body,  sect  or 
commentary.  And  having  renounced  all  authority 
but  God's  Book  every  matter  is  willingly  referred 
to  that  Book.  And  here  is  the  difference  between 
this  good  Community  life  of  fellowship  and  sectism 
called  Christendom,  nobody  wants  to  hold  or  do  any- 
thing for  their  church's  sake;  because  their  fathers 
believed  or  did  it;  because  it  has  become  habit  and 
it  is  unsettling  to  break  it;  because  pride  prevents 
confession  of  error;  because  interest,  a  living,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  clergy,  binds  them.  From  these  all 
become  free  when  they  accept  simply  Holy  Scripture 
as  the  life  book,  the  guide  book,  the  book  about  the 
word  and  the  work,  faith  and  love." 

"But  how  do  they  proceed,  for  all  must  have  some 
conviction  as  received  idea  or  established  belief?" 

"Well,  it  is  wonderful  how  things  that  are  sec- 
ondary in  Community  fall  into  secondary  place  by 
the  prevailing  Spirit  of  God.  Each  comes  to  feel  'the 
greatest  of  these  is  love ;'  and  to  heed  the  exhortation 
'Above  all  things,  have  fervent  love  among  your- 
selves.' You  see  love  is  written  large  in  their  hearts 
and  before  their  eyes.  They  are  living  love,  and 
have  no  animus  of  hostility  toward  their  brother 
saints.  That  counts  for  a  lot.  So  they  approach 
these  matters  not  as  controversalists  or  disputers  of 
this  world.  They  have  not  a  case,  as  lawyers,  to  de- 
fend. They  do  not  care  who  loses ;  in  fact  they  want 
the  wrong  to  lose,  even  if  it  be  themselves,  that  all 
may  be  in  the  right.  And  so  they  agree  to  compare 
their  reasons  for  their  conclusions.  They  'thrash  it 
out,'  as  we  say.  Then  they  take  time  to  consider  the 


Reasons  for  the  Community  Life     223 

matter — alone,  at  home.  They  pray  God  to  give 
them  wisdom.  And  He  does  not  fail  them!  They 
come  together  again — as  friends  and  brothers.  Bear 
in  mind  it  is  not  a  contest  of  wits,  but  a  consultation 
of  the  King's  own,  Whom  above  all  they  would  un- 
derstand and  please.  They  have  a  motto  among 
themselves  that  in  the  dogmas  of  the  faith  they  must 
be  in  agreement,  and  even  believe  that  being  good 
before  God  He  will  enlighten  them  in  other  matters. 
The  rule  is  expressed  thus:  'Let  as  many  of  you 
as  be  perfect  [in  love]  be  thus  minded;  and  if  in 
anything  ye  be  otherwise  minded  God  shall  reveal 
even  this  unto  you/  The  plan  works  admirably. 
There  are  no  angry  discussions;  but  increasing 
knowledge  and  love.  Attainment  in  knowledge  they 
hold  to  be  progressive;  but  love  they  require  abso- 
lutely along  with  faith  in  the  Lord  Christ." 

"But  still  dear  Dad,  what  is  the  substance  of  The 
Faith  as  they  hold  it,  for  you  have  said  yourself 
faith  and  love — 'faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and 
love  to  all  saints'?  The  Faith  cannot  be  ignored. 
There  must  be  definite  belief." 

True,  John,  as  you  say;  but  they  hold  faith  to  be 
belief  in  a  person,  or  rather  persons,  firstly ;  and  then 
truth  about  those  persons  as  revealed,  and  belief  of 
what  they  teach  didactically.  I  will  put  it  in  other 
words :  first,  acknowledgment  of  the  living  God  and 
of  Jesus  Christ  as  His  Son.  Belief  of  what  they  say 
about  themselves  as  told  in  Scripture,  and  what  they 
gather  from  Nature  and  Providence  as  true  con- 
cerning them.  Also  that  there  is  a  Holy  Spirit  from 
God  given  by  Jesus  Christ.  Then  they  receive  the 
promises  of  Holy  Scripture  for  fulfillment  now  and 
for  hope  for  the  hereafter.  They  also  believe  as 
touching  the  Divine  commandments  that  they  are  the 
right  and  the  good  way,  and  so  walk  in  them.  But 


224  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

no  creed  is  presented  to  any  believer  for  acceptance 
as  necessary  to  membership." 

"But  now  Dad,  because  belief  with  me  is  some- 
thing great,  are  you  willing  to  express  yourself  as 
to  a  creed — which  do  you  think  the  best,  the  sim- 
plest, the  shortest  to  cover  every  essential  which,  if 
truly  accepted  and  subscribed,  would  be  satisfactory 
to  you,  along  with  brotherly  love  ?" 

"John,  understand  me,  I  am  not  a  creedist,  but  a 
worshipper  of  God  and  an  adherent  of  His  holy, 
adorable  Son  (blessed  be  both  Father  and  Son!)  and 
a  believer  in  the  Holy  Spirit.  But  if  I  must  say 
what  in  my  judgment  is  the  best  creed  I  know,  of 
human  composition,  and  it  was  felt  by  all  that  there 
should  be  a  public  testification  of  their  standing  in 
regard  to  belief,  as  informatory  and  their  due  con- 
fession, I  should  say  that  any  statement  that  covered 
the  facts  of  our  holy  religion,  which  was  seen  and 
heard  from  the  beginning  and  acknowledged  from 
the  first,  would  be  sufficient.  Deductions,  definitions, 
opinions  I  would  not  consent  to  as  requisite  for 
Christian  discipleship  or  brotherly  communion.  That 
is  how  divisions  have  come  about.  It  was  not  the 
original  plan.  In  Community  it  is  not  allowed.  And 
so  sect  antipathies  are  healed.  There  is  no  Calvinist 
and  no  Arminian  in  Community.  All  are  content 
to  be  believers,  cleaving  unto  the  Lord  with  full  pur- 
pose of  heart.  They  vary  in  intelligence  and  attain- 
ment. Some  may  speak  as  silily  as  prattling  chil- 
dren ;  but  relationship  is  not  denied  because  of  this. 
Eventually  they  will  come  to  the  stage  where  they 
no  longer  understand  and  reason  as  children.  In 
time  they  put  away  childish  things.  But  they  are 
no  more  brothers  when  they  are  thus  advanced  than 
when  they  were  simple  babes." 

"Dear  Dad,  this  is  all  good;  I  know  it  will  work 


Reasons  for  the  Community  Life    225 

well.  But  even  now  you  have  not  told  me  if  there 
is  any  creed  that  is  available  for  Community  use." 
"John,  I  say  again,  I  am  no  creed  advocate;  but 
if  I  must  make  a  selection  I  say,  that  of  all  confes- 
sions of  faith  known  to  me  The  Apostles'  Creed 
stands  first.  We  will  dismiss  the  fiction  that  each  of 
the  apostles  contributed  a  sentence  apiece  to  its  com- 
position. I  will  tell  you  why  it  commends  itself  to  me. 
It  has  the  quality  that  I  hold  to  be  of  the  essence  of 
a  confession,  namely,  it  is  a  statement  of  truths, 
of  facts  as  held  by  all.  It  has  not  in  it  an  opinion  or 
definition.  There  is  no  Christian  but  what  can  take 
and  affirm  it  as  a  symbol  of  his  discipleship.  There- 
fore it  is  completely  unitive.  In  it  is  no  cause  of 
separation.  Let  us  see  exactly  what  it  says:  'I 
believe  in  God,  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
heaven  and  earth.'  We  cannot  but  assent  that  this  is 
our  belief.  'I  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  His  only 
begotten  Son  our  Lord;  Who  was  conceived  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  suffered  under 
Pontius  Pilate;  was  crucified,  dead  and  buried;  He 
descended  into  hell  [hades,  the  invisible  state] ;  the 
third  day  He  rose  again  from  the  dead ;  He  ascended 
into  heaven,  and  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God  the 
Father  Almighty;  from  thence  He  shall  come  to 
judge  the  quick  and  the  dead/  This  is  nothing  but 
little  pieces  of  Scripture  put  together:  we  heartily 
consent  that  the  facts  are  as  stated,  and  confess  such 
is  our  belief.  'I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  holy 
catholic  [universal]  church;  the  communion  of 
saints;  the  forgiveness  of  sins;  the  resurrection  of 
the  body,  and  the  life  everlasting/  The  whole  con- 
fession finishes  with  'Amen';  and  'Amen'  is  voiced 
without  dissent  by  every  Communist  of  the  new 
Christian  System  of  living  together.  Amen,  amen, 
amen !  As  to  the  exact  understanding  all  may  have 


226  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

of  every  clause  of  the  confession  that  is  not  required, 
and  so  none  is  disf  ellowshipped  through  the  dictator- 
ship or  intolerance  of  a  not-too-well-minded  person 
who  listens  for  heresy.  Miserable  creatures !  not  one 
of  them  is  accepted  in  Community.  If  they  get  in 
at  all  they  'creep*  in  when  the  body  is  not  watching." 
"Dear  Dad,  I  feel  what  you  say  is  entirely  satis- 
factory. I  hold  with  you  that  another  man's  cer- 
tainty in  a  definition  is  not  the  rule  of  his  brother's 
doubt  if  that  is  the  right  sense.  I  know  I  personally 
have  infirmities  of  the  intellect.  I  like  my  brethren 
to  be  tender  and  kind  towards  me  if  they  discover 
them,  as  I  am  willing  to  be  toward  them.  I  do  not 
purposely  err  in  anything.  In  fact  I  use  all  the  dili- 
gence I  can  to  take  Christ's  teaching  as  He  would 
have  me,  and  not  m^s-take  Him.  The  rule  of  your 
new  Community  is  such  that  all  should  recognize  a 
Community  of  such  spiritual  affinity  and  oneness  in 
faith  and  in  love  would  be  the  greatest  institution  in 
the  world.  And  such  a  model  multiplied  indefinitely 
until  all  Christians  were  embraced  would  put  light- 
houses in  every  part  of  the  earth. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
Domestic  Conditions  in  Community 


"DEAR  John,  would  it  interest  you  for  me  to  tell 
you  about  the  domestic  or  home-life  in  Community? 
It  is  as  pure  and  sweet  as  the  early  morn,  when  all  is 
fresh  and  the  air  is  redolent  with  the  scent  of  flower 
and  shrub.  In  Community,  we  hold  that  a  husband 
and  wife  who  do  not  leave  behind  them  at  least  two 
children  to  fill  their  places  makes  the  world  poorer 
than  they  found  it,  and  unless  there  are  good  reasons 
for  it  they  have  done  the  State  a  wrong,  as  well  as 
failed  to  fulfil  the  Divine  law  of  increase,  which  com- 
mands, 'Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish  the 
earth/  They  should  really  produce  one  or  two  more 
than  simple  substitutes  for  themselves.  But  the  men 
and  women  of  pleasure  who  live  not  under  the  laws 
of  the  Community  think  nothing  of  this  and  by  de- 
struction of  children  in  embryo  become  murderers 
of  their  species.  They  plead,  in  extenuation  of  their 
crime,  that  they  could  not  keep  them,  and  hence  it 
is  more  merciful  that  the  little  ones  never  see  the 
light.  Nevertheless  they  frustrate  the  design  of 
God  and  are  criminally  responsible  to  the  judgment- 
seat  of  Christ.  Now  in  Community  there  is  no  ne- 
cessity to  do  this.  It  cannot  be  pleaded  that  if  chil- 
dren are  brought  to  the  birth  it  would  be  to  undergo 
privation  and  know  suffering.  We  would  all  rather 
work  harder,  joyously  of  course,  that  parents  may 
have  their  full  quota  of  offspring. 


228  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"Dear  Dad,  that  is  a  sign  of  goodness  in  the  Com- 
munity, but  it  is  one  more  black  mark  against  the 
world-system  of  economics,  that  parents,  because  of 
money  shortage,  should  even  think  to  do  such  unnat- 
ural and  wicked  acts." 

"This  is  one  instance,  John,  in  which  Society  life 
excels  the  common  living.  'I  love  babies/  said  a 
beautiful  mother;  and  well  she  might — such  babies 
as  came  to  her  home;  such  healthy  little  cherubs, 
whom  she  fed  with  milk  from  her  own  breasts. 
They  were  fine  specimens.  And  we  of  Community 
protest  the  world,  this  wicked  world,  that  it  should 
take  from  husband  and  wife  the  means  of  fulfilling 
the  original  law  of  propagation,  because  some  bach- 
elor club-man  or  some  married  exploiter,  who  has 
agreed  with  his  wife  to  be  childless  or  leave  off 
with  one,  will  have  thousands  of  dollars  for  the 
gratification  of  their  worthless  lives.  Thank  God,  it 
is  not  so  in  Community !" 

"That  is  right,  dear  Dad;  there  should  be  no  pre- 
vention of  offspring;  but  every  child  should  be  a 
welcomed  addition." 

"John,  you  should  see  the  happy  husbands  and 
wives  of  the  Community  state.  They  do  not  defraud 
one  another;  but  in  temperance  live  together  their 
marital  life.  Husbands  do  not  think  of  leaving  for 
their  work  without  a  good-by  word  and  a  kiss! 
Should  one  go  to  the  door  in  forgetfulness,  he  is 
called  back  to  give  the  token  of  affection,  the  sweet- 
heart sign ;  and  on  his  return  home  there  awaits  him 
from  wife,  dear  wife !  a  smiling  welcome  and  another 
kiss!  What  they  can  do  for  one  another,  how  they 
can  make  each  other  happy,  is  their  mutual  thought. 
It  seldom  is  so  in  the  world;  not  because  men  and 
women  are  not  dear  to  each  other,  but  because  anx- 
iety and  pre-occupation  with  business — twin  evils 


Domestic  Conditions  in  Community  229 

which  do  not  exist  in  the  Society  life — cause  them  to 
omit  proper  loving  expressions  and  manifestations." 

"Dad,  husbands  and  wives  do  love  one  another, 
dearly,  in  many  cases,  and  when  a  crisis  comes  we 
see  them  loyally  standing  together;  but  as  the  world 
is,  with  its  many  cares,  they  let  drop  the  honey-love 
of  their  courting  days;  they  are  not  considerately 
affectionate  as  they  should  be;  and  this  is  largely 
chargeable  to  their  evil  social  condition." 

"John,  the  happy  escape  from  that  is  the  Commun- 
ity of  brotherly  love  and  co-operative  labor.  Anxiety 
is  laid  out  dead  and  a  thousand  cares  are  dumped 
when  one  becomes  a  member  of  a  Society  of  fellow- 
saints,  industrious,  frugal  and  good,  who  carry  one 
another  around  in  their  hearts  as  a  maiden  carries 
the  photo  of  her  beloved  around  her  neck  in  a  heart- 
shaped  locket.  How  often  she  looks  at  it  and  kisses 
the  picture.  She  cultivates  and  cherishes  her  affec- 
tion as  do  the  members  in  Community,  and  in  par- 
ticular the  husbands  for  their  wives,  and  vice  versa. 
They  have  the  time  and  are  free  in  mind  to  live  the 
love  they  bear  to  each  other." 

"Dear  Dad,  love  is  all.  To  have  all  wealth  and  not 
be  rich  in  affection,  rich  in  heart,  is  poverty;  indeed 
there  is  no  poverty  so  poor." 

"Well,  John,  I  want  to  tell  you  why  these  Com- 
munist families  are  so  happy — I  refer  now  to  hus- 
bands and  wives,  children  later — they  are  joined 
together  by  a  double  love;  two  loves  unite  them." 

"Dad,  I  thought  love  was  simple,  one  undivided 
quality.  A  double  love  and  a  two-banded  couple — 
what  is  the  explanation?" 

"John,  please  let  us  not  say  a  divided  love,  a 
single  love  separated  into  two  parts.  No;  for  each 
is  whole  in  itself.  Let  us  say  they  are  joined  to- 
gether by  two  whole  loves — a  binding  hoop  at  the 
top  and  a  binding  hoop  at  the  bottom." 


230  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"Explain,  Dad;  for  such  a  bond  must  be  uncom- 
monly and  blessedly  uniting." 

"John,  there  are  two  distinct  loves  among  Chris- 
tian couples  in  the  Community  family;  but  they 
agree  in  one.  There  is  the  natural  love,  the  love  in 
the  flesh  (not  fleshly,  nor  filthy).  The  young  man 
who  sees  a  woman  who  is  beautiful  in  form,  clear 
in  skin,  bright  of  eye,  intelligent,  accomplished,  is 
attracted.  He  has  been  charmed  and  is  full  of  de- 
light. He  loves  the  fair,  virtuous  damsel  and  wants 
her  for  a  companion.  He  becomes  what  we  call 
'dead  in  love'  with  her.  His  love  is  good.  The  per- 
son loved  is  good ;  her  qualities  are  good ;  her  accom- 
plishments are  good.  This  is  love  as  units  of  the 
same  genus,  love  in  the  flesh.  With  such  love  par- 
ents love  children  and  children  parents.  This  is 
one  of  the  loves.  The  other  is  love  in  the  Spirit.  It 
is  of  a  higher  type.  It  endures  to  eternity;  for  its 
attachment  is  in  eternal  things.  Such  love  exists 
between  the  Christians  of  the  Community.  Husband 
and  wife  are  joined  together  in  appreciation  of  God 
and  Christ  and  all  things  pure  and  holy  and  kind. 
They  know  each  other  as  divinified  beings,  by  the 
word  and  Spirit  of  God ;  and  what  delight  they  find 
in  each  other  as  new  in  Christ  Jesus !  Hear  the  hus- 
band speak  of  his  wife :  'What  a  spiritual  woman  she 
is!'  And  the  wife  of  her  husband:  'What  a  thor- 
oughly good  man!'  And  they  clasp  each  other 
around  as  delightful  objects  of  love.  An  Apostle 
wrote  of  one  saying,  'whom  I  love  in  the  Spirit/  So 
with  the  believing  husband  and  wife,  who  live  to- 
gether in  faith  and  charity,  being  the  temples  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Living  in  the  Spirit  they  love  with  a 
spiritual  as  well  as  a  natural  love." 

"Dear  Dad,  beautiful !  Too  heavenly  for  words  to 
express.  Better  than  to  be  in  a  state  loaded  down 


Domestic  Conditions  in  Community  231 

with  care  and  striving  against  the  world  for  one's 
daily  bread,  and  in  the  struggle  forget  the  law  and 
the  life  of  kindness,  of  mutual  affection." 

"Now,  John,  it  follows  that  the  children  of  such 
unions  will  not  be  regarded  as  little  'brats/  nor  as  a 
great  care  causing  unceasing  weariness.  No,  they 
are  plants  from  good  stock.  And  instruction  is  not 
omitted,  nor  prayers  restrained,  nor  oversight  want- 
ing to  make  of  them  good  men  and  women,  and 
worthy  of  their  parents  as  good  humans  and  good 
Christians.  No  stringency  is  put  upon  them;  no 
repression,  that  is  as  irksome  as  it  is  unnatural ;  and 
they  realize  that  great  saying,  'Freedom  under  law !' 
I  cannot  tell  you  all  about  the  children,  their  training 
and  government,  but  the  Community  parents  have 
found  a  way  to  rule  their  houses  in  wisdom  and  love 
that  yields  the  best  results." 

"I  sometimes  think,  Dad,  when  I  see  children  neg- 
lected or  abused,  that  it  is  partly  because  the  par- 
ents, amid  the  cares  and  worries  incident  to  the 
present  unjust  system  of  living,  are  frequently 
unable  to  find  themselves.  Swept  along  in  the  cur- 
rent of  the  world  they  lose  footing,  which  means 
losing  control,  proper  action  toward  others.  Oh, 
how  happy  the  state  that  is  outside  the  rush  and  the 
overloads  of  life !" 

"John,  I  want  to  speak  to  you  further,  freely  yet 
not  indelicately,  about  the  domestic  life  of  the  new 
Christian  system  of  being  together.  Personally,  I 
have  strong  convictions  regarding  what  I  am  going 
to  say.  God  made  woman  for  man;  and  conversely 
man  is  woman's  complement — and  her  proper  desire 
when  she  reaches  the  age  of  puberty.  And  it  is 
neither  a  sign  of  wantonness  nor  lewdness  for  a  man 
who  is  a  man  to  want  a  wife,  or  for  a  woman  to 
desire  a  husband.  That  is  plain ;  and  is  meant  to  be 


232  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

so.  And  furthermore,  Community  smiles  frankly 
and  sympathetically  upon  a  straightforward  declara- 
tion of  the  fact  and  helps  towards  its  fulfilment.  So 
it  has  made  this  provision,  that  if  any  single  mem- 
ber of  Community  desires  to  get  married  and  have  a 
house  of  his  own  to  which  to  bring  a  wife  and  form 
the  nucleus  of  a  new  family — unless  he  goes  directly 
to  the  woman  of  his  choice,  wins  her  heart  and 
hand  and  notifies  Society  of  his  act — that  the  elder 
man  and  elder  woman  of  Community  have  this  mat- 
ter in  charge,  and  by  invitation  to  tea  at  their  own 
house  bring  together  suitable  parties,  affording  them 
opportunity  to  make  each  other's  acquaintance ;  that 
if  they  like  each  other  it  may  ripen  into  attachment 
and  wedlock.  But  it  is  prohibited  to  such  father  and 
mother  of  Society  to  introduce,  say  a  woman,  to  a 
man  who  is  shiftless,  lazy,  unprincipled  or  of  filthy 
habits  (of  which  there  are  none  in  Community) ,  or 
any  who  for  other  and  good  reasons  is  unsuited  to  the 
would-be  wife.  The  same  also  as  to  a  man  who 
would  be  a  husband  respecting  a  wife.  Fact  is,  the 
Community  jealously  watches  over  its  young  people 
as  precious  jewels,  and  advises  as  far  as  possible  for 
companions  young  people  of  the  Community,  al- 
though it  does  not  make  a  law  of  it,  nor  welcome  less 
cordially  any  one  selected  from  without,  provided 
the  marriage  is  in  the  Lord,  that  is,  of  a  Christian." 

"I  suppose,  Dad,  a  Community  woman  is  recom- 
mended to  a  man  because  of  the  greater  fellowship 
through  having  been  brought  up  in  the  mutual  love 
and  assistance  principles,  and  therefore  naturally  in 
harmony." 

"That  is  the  reason,  John;  there  is  no  down-look 
upon  a  stranger ;  but  when  a  stranger  is  brought  into 
the  fold  she  is  no  longer  a  foreigner  but  as  one  al- 
ways of  the  hearth  and  heart  of  the  Society.  Now 
a  marriage-day  is  a  gala  time  in  Community.  The 


Domestic  Conditions  in  Community  233 

happiness  of  the  new  couple  becomes  the  happiness 
of  all  the  Society.  Each  sister  gives  the  bride  the 
kiss  of  love;  and  each  brother  the  bridegroom  a 
hearty  shake  of  the  hand,  with  a  fervently  pro- 
nounced benediction.  You  should  see  the  tears  run 
down  the  faces  of  the  grandpas  and  the  grandmas  as 
they  recall  the  happy  time  when  they  stood  together 
like  the  pair  before  them  pledging  each  other  their 
hearts  and  their  service !  The  new  home  for  the  new 
couple  is  beautifully  prepared;  there  is  a  wedding- 
feast  and  songs  of  joy  and  praise  to  the  Institutor  of 
a  relationship  so  comforting;  and  the  new  starters 
upon  the  life  of  delight  are  made  to  feel  that  it  is 
every  way  worth  while  to  get  married.  Society  would 
turn  single  unblessedness  into  married  blessedness, 
ending  the  loneliness  of  the  solitary  life.  We  love 
our  brides  and  our  bridegrooms,  and  do  not  teach 
our  young  people  that  to  choose  to  be  shut  up  in  a 
prison-like  brick  building,  with  none  of  the  tender 
love  of  parents  and  friends,  is  more  holy  or  happy 
than  living  together  as  husband  and  wife  and  rais- 
ing children  to  increase  the  host  of  holy  worshippers 
before  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb  for  ever ; 
for  it  is  expected  that  all  the  parents  will  bring  up 
their  children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord." 

"Dear  Dad,  marriage  of  good  people  who  are  com- 
patible, and  for  good  ends,  what  can  be  better,  touch- 
ing earthly  things?  Yes,  and  for  heavenly  also?  I 
see  many  excellent  men  and  women  around  who,  if 
they  could  have  such  service  from  their  brethren  as 
you  speak  of  and  live  in  such  a  state,  would  feel  life 
had  substance  to  it,  and  be  unspeakably  happy. 
Doubtless  many  who  feel  that  something  is  wanting 
to  their  well-being,  and  know  not  exactly  what  it  is, 
would  find  in  marriage  what  they  needed." 

"John,  the  new  Society  of  corporate  life  is  very 


234  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

convinced  that  marriage  is  the  natural  and  the  or- 
dained state  for  mortals.  We  believe  a  pure  wed- 
lock is  better  than  an  impure  celibacy.  We  believe 
that  a  heart  yearning,  and  yearning  in  vain  because 
of  an  imposed  oath,  is  a  very  unhappy  life,  and  a 
great  cruelty  inflicted  upon  a  pure,  simple-hearted 
girl.  Society  says,  young  men  and  young  women 
should  marry,  except  there  are  very  good  reasons  to 
the  contrary,  which  may  exist  in  special  and  rare 
cases  and  in  times  of  persecution.  'Mary  ever  virgin* 
as  a  pattern  for  daughters  is  a  pernicious  teaching. 
And  besides,  it  is  not  true  that  Mary  had  no  children 
beside  Jesus.  The  subtility  of  Rome's  explanation  is 
unconvincing;  the  New  Testament  confronts  her 
with  the  testimany  that  Jesus  had  brothers  and 
sisters  (Matt.  13:55-56).  Mary  the  mother  of  our 
Lord  is  not  a  pattern  for  the  single  but  for  the  mar- 
ried. Virgins,  in  the  sense  of  personalities  not  de- 
filed by  fornication  or  a  settled  life  in  sin,  is  good 
before  God ;  but  God  made  man  and  woman  for  mu- 
tual companionship,  and  it  is  not  service  of  Him,  nor 
of  humanity,  to  allure  them  to  a  different  life,  in 
which  they  often  pine  away  with  an  unsatisfied  na- 
tural and  not  wicked  longing.  So  Community  is  a 
happy  place.  Single  persons  coming  into  it  often  find 
those  who  make  whole  beings  of  them.  For  man  has 
virile  qualities  that  woman  needs ;  and  woman  quali- 
ties that  softens,  enlarges  and  blesses  man." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  have  understood  you  in  regard  to 
the  work  of  the  men-folk  in  Community,  but  now 
what  do  the  women  do  ?" 

"My  beloved  John,  they  do  everything  besides  what 
the  men  do  that  is  necessary  in  Community;  and  by 
their  united  wisdom  they  have  reduced  that  work  to 
a  minimum.  It  is  done  with  the  least  effort  and  the 
best  results.  First,  there  is  the  general  housework. 
They  wash  and  sweep  and  tidy  up  directly  after  the 


Domestic  Conditions  in  Community  235 

children  have  been  got  ready  and  sent  off  to  school. 
You  see,  they  are  such  good  neighborly  women,  and 
they  are  all  so  dear  to  one  another,  that  they  are  glad 
of  the  opportunity  to  turn  in  and  lend  a  hand  to  the 
mother  who  has  an  unusually  large  flock  of  children, 
or  who  is  of  feeble  constitution.  'Sister  Margaret, 
I  have  stepped  in  to  wash  up  the  dishes ;'  'I  am  come 
to  help  you  with  your  sewing  and  mending* — these 
and  such  like  services  they  render  to  each  other  so 
cheerfully  that  the  one  who  needs  help  almost  feels 
as  if  she  is  conferring  a  favor  in  letting  the  sister 
help  her,  instead  of  receiving  one  from  her.  You 
see,  some  have  only  small  families;  and  the  children 
of  others  are  grown  up  and  gone;  and  these  have 
spare  time,  which  they  do  not  indolently  waste  in 
lounging  or  novel-reading.  They  use  this  leisure 
time,  outside  their  private  devotions  and  reading  for 
self -improvement,  doing  something  useful  for  others, 
either  assisting  those  in  Community  or  working  for 
the  outside  poor.  You  will  see  many  Dorcases  there, 
working  with  nimble  fingers  to  clothe  the  naked." 
"Do  they  have  any  expert  assistance,  Dad?" 
"Yes,  John,  one  or  two  seamstresses  and  one  mil- 
liner are  taken  into  fellowship.  These  cut  and  fit 
garments,  and  teach  those  who  do  not  know  how  to 
use  the  needle.  They  are  always  busy  going  from 
house  to  house,  and  their  work  is  not  the  ordinary 
hireling's  work,  but  is  work  of  love  done  as  unto  the 
Lord,  Who  sees  and  will  not  forget  later  to  speak  of 
it  to  their  unutterable  joy.  John,  our  women  are 
not  numb-skulls  nor  drudges.  They  know  how  to 
do  their  own  housework  and  their  dwellings  are 
models  of  neatness  and  cleanliness;  but  they  are 
likewise  well  furnished  in  mind  and  are  bright  with 
that  higher  excellency  the  Spirit  of  glory  and  of  God. 
And  so  when  they  meet  to  sew  together,  as  they 
sometimes  do,  instead  of  engaging  in  gossip,  which  is 


236  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

usually  carrion — crow-meat,  one  reads  something  at 
once  interesting  and  beneficial  and  it  becomes  the 
topic  of  conversation ;  or  something  is  told  stimulat- 
ing to  the  good  heart  God  has  put  within  them.  John, 
our  beloved  women,  usually  our  wives,  are  queens, 
hand-maidens  of  God  most  high.  They  know  enough 
not  to  domineer  over  their  husbands  to  their  dis- 
grace; on  the  other  hand  their  husbands  do  them 
honor  before  all,  never  making  a  humiliating  remark. 
In  short,  they  have  mastered  the  quaint  old  wisdom 
that  says :  Woman  was  not  made  out  of  man's  head 
to  rule  over  him ;  nor  out  of  his  feet,  to  be  trampled 
upon  by  him ;  but  out  of  his  side,  to  be  equal  unto  and 
to  be  loved  by  him/  You  see,  John,  she  must  have 
come  from  very  near  his  heart,  the  fountain  of  his 
being." 

"What  other  occupation  have  they,  Dad?" 

"They  buy  all  the  necessary  material  for  their  own 
clothing  and  for  outside  charitable  work.  Every 
three  months  there  is  a  called  meeting,  at  which  they 
elect  an  executive  committee  of  three  or  four  of  their 
number  to  serve  for  the  ensuing  ninety  days.  These 
buy  at  wholesale  the  goods  needed  in  Community; 
and  thus  a  stock  is  kept  on  hand,  in  variety,  of  the 
generally  used  cotton  and  woollen  goods,  hosiery,  hab- 
erdashery, etc.  Everything  that  is  bought  is  good ; 
but  there  are  no  'extra  grade'  articles  for  anybody  in 
Community.  It  would  get  disesteem  and  rebuke  if 
one  should  wish  to  fare  better  than  the  rest.  There 
is  no  need  of  such  wish,  for  it  is  seen  that  all  are 
well  fitted  out." 

"How  does  the  committee  know  what  to  buy, 
Dad?" 

"They  have  this  plan :  Say  one  of  the  children  is 
in  need  of  a  pair  of  shoes — they  carry  a  good  assort- 
ment in  stock,  and  the  child  can  usually  be  supplied 
instantly ;  but  if  the  size  is  not  on  hand  it  is  written 


Domestic  Conditions  in  Community    237 

on  a  slip  of  paper  (a  printed  form  is  supplied  to  be 

filled  out)  :  'Wanted,  Shoes ;  for  boy,  aged ; 

size ,  breadth  (narrow,  medium  or  wide) ; 

Name ;  address ;'    These  slips 

are  dropped  in  a  box  kept  for  the  purpose.  Every 
week  the  box  is  opened  and  the  wants  are  supplied 
as  quickly  as  convenient.  There  is  no  charge.  The 
women  appoint  meetings  whenever  they  like.  Six 
names  are  necessary  to  call  a  public  gathering.  The 
sisters  are  particularly  interested  in  establishing 
other  communities  like  their  own,  in  fellowship  with 
all  the  communities  but  subject  to  none  of  them. 
There  is  no  head  of  all  the  communities  to  consign  to 
perdition  all  whom  he  dislikes.  The  one  Head  of  all 
the  Communities  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
"And  about  the  children,  what  of  them?" 
"The  very  young  children,  John,  are  of  course,  the 
special  care  of  their  mothers ;  but  to  teach  those  who 
are  a  little  older  to  be  useful  and  to  promote  love  in 
the  family  they  are  let  hold  baby,  wheel  it  out  of 
doors  and  do  little  things  that  delight  them  and  give 
them  employment;  and,  as  we  say,  they  bring  up  one 
another!  Those  who  are  of  school  age  have  their 
lessons,  and  mother  sees  that  they  are  thoroughly 
learned.  Running  errands  and  play  fills  up  their  leis- 
ure time.  No,  not  entirely,  for  mother  works  for  the 
unfoldment  of  their  minds  as  well  as  the  robustness 
of  their  bodies.  She  talks  to  them  for  their  informa- 
tion; asks  them  questions  to  make  them  think  for 
themselves  and  to  strengthen  their  memories.  Above 
all  things  she  inculcates  into  their  minds  the  knowl- 
edge of  God  and  of  Christ,  implants  good  principles 
of  conscientiousness,  truthfulness,  honesty,  straight- 
forwardness, justice,  sympathy  and  love,  and  pre- 
pares them  for  their  future  upon  earth  and  their  ap- 
pearing before  God  the  Judge  of  all.  The  still  older 
children  become  servants  of  the  Community's  good 


238  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

in  things  for  which  they  are  fitted  and  which  are 
congenial  to  their  tastes.  They  learn,  besides  all 
things  necessary,  to  conduct  a  home  of  their  own, 
special  branches  and  languages ;  but  as  they  are  re- 
fined and  godly,  about  as  fast  as  they  mature  they 
marry  and  become  builders  of  other  households  of 
faith  and  love." 

"Is  anything  done  to  make  Christians  of  them, 
Dad?" 

"Yes,  they  are  all,  according  to  their  capacity,  in- 
doctrinated in  the  faith  in  Jesus,  and  are  exhorted  to 
decision  and  confession  of  Him  as  Lord,  and  are  in- 
duced by  precept  and  example  to  walk  in  His  steps ; 
and  it  generally  comes  out  true,  Train  up  a  child  in 
the  way  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 
depart  from  it.' " 

"Anything  more  that  the  women  and  children  do, 
Dad?" 

"Yes,  they  assist  the  aged  brethren  in  the  garden, 
and  whatsoever  in  any  department  their  hands  find 
to  do  that  they  are  capable  of  doing  they  do  it 
cheerfully  and  with  their  might.  And  there  is  some- 
thing they  all  very  much  like,  when  the  automobile 
is  out  of  use,  to  put  in  the  seats  and  go  off  for  a  pic- 
nic or  for  half  a  day's  outing  at  the  beach.  You  see, 
John,  it  does  not  take  long  when  many  lend  a  hand 
and  all  work  with  a  will  to  put  a  job  through;  and 
there  remains  time  to  be  charmed  with  the  country 
and  drink  in  the  ozone  of  the  ocean." 

"If  any  member  of  Community  should  have  a  spe- 
cial aptitude  in  any  direction  is  encouragement  given 
him,  and  is  be  assisted  to  perfect  himself  and  be 
useful  to  others  ?" 

"He  is,  John.  For  example,  suppose  one  should 
have  literary  talent,  his  inclination  to  authorship  is 
seconded  and  circulation  is  given  to  any  production 
of  merit  and  usefulness.  Or  suppose  a  member  is 


Domestic  Conditions  in  Community    239 

musically  inclined  and  has  a  gift  for  composing 
tunes  or  larger  compositions ;  or  suppose  a  man  is  an 
inventor,  has  mechanical  genius ;  or  can  do  anything 
superiorly  in  any  department  of  benevolent  service, 
he  is  helped  to  his  utmost  capacity.  Only  here  is  the 
difference,  in  Community  nothing  is  done  or  encour- 
aged to  be  done  for  a  mercenary  end.  And  produc- 
tion is  for  necessity,  and  not  for  speculation,  to  make 
money;  and  every  invented  improvement  and  com- 
fort is  gladly  made  common  to  all.  Any  brother  will- 
ing to  work  on  this  basis — and  that  is  their  covenant 
— is  sure  of  co-operation  to  add  to  the  relief  and  com- 
fort of  the  world.  Love  of  men,  not  love  of  money, 
is  the  causative  principle  in  all  labor  by  all  the 
Brotherhood,  and  the  more  things  God  gives  one  the 
faculty  to  discover  and  the  perseverance  to  perfect 
the  greater  the  happiness  of  the  band  of  good- 
willers.  I  cannot  tell  you  everything  of  domestic  and 
business  life  in  the  Community,  but  I  can  tell  you  it 
is  all  good,  because  it  is  done  of  love  that  'worketh 
no  ill  to  his  neighbor/  and  that  adds  to  instead  of  tak- 
ing away  what  another  has.  To  serve,  or  to  serve 
oneself  of  others — Community  does  the  former,  the 
present  bad  economic  system  the  latter." 

"Dear  Dad,  the  domestic  life  of  the  new  Christian 
System  of  living  together  looks  good  to  me.  I  think 
I  should  like  my  name  proposed  as  a  joiner.  But  I 
see  that  I  must  be  unselfish  and  devoted  to  my  broth- 
er's good — like  Him  who  came  not  to  be  ministered 
unto  but  to  minister — and  I  am  searching  my  heart 
to  see  if  I  am  worthy  for  good  will's  sake  to  be  en- 
rolled with  those  who  have  slain  the  selfishness  of 
the  old  man  of  sin." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Christian  Community  a  Converting 
Agency 


"  'AND  being  let  go,  they  went  to  their  own  Com- 
pany' :  in  these  few  words  we  are  told  that  there  was 
at  Jerusalem  a  Company,  or  Association  of  Chris- 
tians; and  that  when  Peter  and  John  were  freed 
from  arrest  they  made  a  bee-line  for  that  dear  So- 
ciety of  companions  in  faith  and  charity.  We  can 
imagine  the  mutual  embraces,  and  how  closely  the 
members  of  Society  listened  as  the  Apostles  related 
what  took  place  from  the  time  of  their  apprehension 
by  the  priests,  the  ruler  of  the  temple  and  the  Sad- 
ducees  to  that  of  their  release.  Now,  John,  I  want 
that  we  both  shall  realize  what  a  converting  power 
the  Christian  Communities  were  at  the  first ;  and  not 
merely  that,  but  what  regenerative  influence  must 
still  necessarily  inhere  in  the  Christian  Fellowship; 
and,  therefore,  how  greatly  desirable  it  is  that  it 
shall  be  re-established  and  flourish  as  of  yore.  In- 
deed the  Word,  without  the  People  and  their  un- 
worldly and  other-worldly  home-life,  is  shorn  of  half 
its  strength.  For  neither  in  Roman,  Greek,  Anglican 
or  other  ancient  ecclesiastical  organizations  is  there 
anything  resembling  that  constituent  part  of  primi- 
tive Christianity  the  Community.  And  certainly  it 
is  as  absent  from  the  Free  Churches,  which  have  no 
affiliation  and  give  no  allegiance  to  these  organiza- 


242  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

tions,  being  known  as  Nonconformists  and  Protest- 
ants, but  called  by  them  'heretics'  and  'schismatics', 
and  avoided  and  cursed  for  their  non-submission. 
These  latter  churches  had  a  chance  at  the  beginning 
— and  have  not  wholly  lost  it  now — of  restoring  the 
brotherly  love  and  co-working  peculiarities  of  the 
early  Christian  Society,  in  which  each  brother  was 
the  care  of  the  other;  but  they  could  not  get  over 
their  old  habits  and  customs  of  corrupted  Churchian- 
ity  so  as  to  embrace  truly  the  family  relationships  of 
the  Apostolic  era;  hence  they  do  not  meet  the  need 
of  the  world,  and  cannot  be  satisfying  to  those  who 
hunger  for  Society  that  is  Society  and  worship  that 
is  worship  indeed.  But,  John,  I  wish  to  speak  to 
you  of  the  effect  upon  the  world  of  the  Community 
life,  and  the  great  converting  power  stored  up  in  it, 
and  streaming  from  it  to  non-Christians." 

"Dear  Dad,  there  was  a  revival  of  its  spirit  under 
Wesley  and  Whitfield;  but  these  good  men  did  not 
go  far  enough,  or  as  we  sometimes  say,  'all  the  way' ; 
they  brought  not  the  fruit  of  their  gospelization  to 
perfection.  The  societies  they  organized  were  not 
the  Society.  Still,  as  proof  of  what  you  say,  when 
only  the  spirit  of  the  old  fellowship  was  restored, 
without  the  Home  of  brotherly  love  and  the  hand-in- 
hand  working  for  the  good  of  all,  conversions  were 
in  evidence — converts  were  greatly  multiplied.  But 
since  they  left  us,  the  churches  have  fallen  back 
again,  and  the  old  blessed  attachments,  and  oft- 
being-together  and  sometimes  residential  relation- 
ships have  become  of  the  past;  with  the  result  that 
the  converting  power  in  many  places  has  dwindled 
and  almost  subsided.  It  is  an  instance  of  the  enemy 
having  'accomplished  to  scatter  the  power  of  the  holy 
people/  It  is  a  fact  to  be  regarded,  that  the  Com- 
munity of  brotherly  love  and  co-operation  is  an  in- 


The  Community  a  Converting  Agency  243 

strumentality  drawing  the  world  to  one  another  and 
to  God." 

"Yes,  John,  and  to-day  I  feel  almost  as  one  without 
a  home.  The  churches  do  not  appeal  to  me.  And  I 
know  it  is  not  that  I  am  unsocial  or  cranky.  Think 
of  that  new  thing  that  has  sprung  into  existence, 
neither  God  nor  devil,  man  nor  beast,  bird  nor  fish, 
the  Institutional  Church.  It  is  a  sort  of  combined 
show  and  temple  of  God ;  or  rather  show  in  the  tem- 
ple of  God ;  with  amusements  of  the  world  as  its  chief 
attraction.  The  minister  jokes  and  holds  up  his  end 
as  a  clown  and  entertainer,  and  the  people  laugh  and 
clap  their  hands  at  his  funny  sayings.  Sacredness, 
divine  ministry,  goes  floating  away  as  a  chip  upon 
the  stream.  Imagine  a  Paul  by  the  side  of  the 
Institutional  Church  minister.  The  contrast  could 
not  be  greater.  In  this  mongrel  thing,  two  parts 
Canaanite  to  one  Israelite,  there  is  not  the  contents 
of  the  old-time  Community.  It  is  commercialized  to 
the  uttermost,  and  is  not  run  for  the  people's  profit. 
Of  course,  it  has  no  Holy  Ghost  virtue  in  it  to  stream 
forth  and  flow  into  the  frequenters  of  its  Audito- 
rium. It  is  not  a  home  of  refuge  and  house  of  bread 
to  the  spiritually  hungry.  It  does  not  beget  and  fos- 
ter the  love  which  makes  one  offer  himself  to  save 
another — 'lay  down  his  life  for  the  brethren.'  It  is 
not  of  God.  Still,  its  establishment  is  plain  confes- 
sion that  more  than  pulpit  lectures  are  requisite  to 
meet  men's  felt  needs.  Their  craving  is  the  Chris- 
tian Community,  as  at  the  beginning." 

"What  you  say,  Dad,  is  uncontradictable.  The  In- 
stitutional Church  is  not  founded  to  turn  men  to  God 
and  hold  them  to  the  God-ward  attitude.  The  attend- 
ants do  not  pay  their  ten  or  twenty-five  cents  admis- 
sion fee  to  be  labored  with  to  give  up  the  world  and 
follow  Jesus.  It  has  its  stars  and  sense-gratifying 
performances  like  any  operatic  hall.  It  lets  its  rooms 


244  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

and  runs  its  cafeterias  the  same  as  the  ordinary 
lodging  house  and  restaurant.  It  is  all  on  a  business 
basis  and  caters  to  the  humorous  rather  than  serious 
end  of  life.  It  is  nothing  at  all,  considered  as  an  in- 
stitution of  Christ." 

"Nor  can  I  feel  delight,  dear  John,  in  the  sect  or- 
ganizations. I  want  the  Society  of  the  good.  I  hun- 
ger to  be  always  with  Christians.  The  Community 
would  just  meet  my  need.  It  has  something  for  its 
members.  In  that  fellowship  all  give  and  take.  One 
does  not  take  all  and  the  rest  have  nothing.  Besides, 
the  very  first  thing  a  denominational  church  asks  of 
me  is  to  commit  a  sin.  I  can  only  join  it  by  sinning. 
I  must  become  a  schismatic.  I  must  be  a  member  of 
a  faction.  I  must  identify  myself  with  a  strife.  I 
must  confine  my  sympathies  and  pay  my  money  sole- 
ly (or  chiefly)  to  the  support  of  the  sect  and  its 
activities.  I  must  loyally,  as  a  partizan,  seek  her 
prestige.  All  these  things  are  against  the  desire  and 
commandments  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  the  Apostles. 
Unity  was  their  teaching.  And  in  the  Community, 
blessed  fellowship!  unity — wide,  inclusive  unity — 
prevailed !  That  is  what  I  want.  I  want  in  being  in 
union  with  fellow-believers  to  be  also  a  servant  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  and  a  doer  of  His  utmost  wish.  I 
want  to  be  led  of  His  Spirit — which  is  fraternal,  and 
extends  to  all  saints,  without  division  from  some  and 
partiality  for  those  of  a  given  confession.  I  want, 
in  short,  the  'communion  of  saints' — all  saints.  And 
this  is  only  obtainable  in  a  Christian  Community 
which  is  Christian  only.  There  is  some  evangelizing 
power  in  the  unsatisfactory  ecclesiastical  organiza- 
tions, because  the  Word  of  God  is  read  in  them,  but 
great  converting  agencies  they  are  not." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  has  become  customary  now,  in  many 
places  of  worship,  to  do  little  more  than  expatiate 
upon  moral,  political  and  religious  topics.  In  the 


The  Community  a  Converting  Agency  245 

days  when  religion  was  mighty,  the  faithful  elders, 
charged  with  the  care  of  the  flock  for  Him  to  whom 
they  belonged,  rebuked  publicly  those  who  sinned 
publicly,  exhorted  brethren  pointedly,  and  after  gos- 
pel services  'drew  in  the  net/  as  they  phrased  it, 
their  understanding  being  that  they  were  fishing — 
for  men.  They  sought  fish ;  not  praise  for  themselves 
nor  standing  for  their  sect.  Conviction  was  strong 
and  conversion  definite.  But  the  demand  from  min- 
isters to-day  is  sermons,  eloquent  talks ;  and  this  does 
not  fit  into  true  evangelism." 

"John,  I  must  come  back  to  the  purpose  of  my 
present  conversation — to  impress  upon  you  that  the 
new  Christian  System  of  living  is,  with  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel,  a  mighty  ordained  agency  for  the 
drawing  together  and  unification  of  men  in  love  and 
righteousness;  and  for  lack  of  it  the  cause  of  God 
in  the  world  suffers  loss.  How  blessed  will  he  be 
who  will  talk — talk  unceasingly  and  peremptorily — 
for  this  great  instrumentality  of  God  to  be  re-estab- 
lished in  the  earth." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  recall  to  mind  what  made  Christian- 
ity win  its  first  great  triumphs — it  was  the  Christian 
Fellowship.  The  Christian  life  of  Communal  love 
disposed  the  heathen  to  listen  to  the  message.  And 
some  tens  of  thousands  espoused  the  new  Faith  and 
dwelt  together  in  the  new  love." 

"John,  have  you  read  the  scathing  article  just  pub- 
lished from  the  pen  of  Charles  W.  Eliot,  ex-president 
of  Harvard  college?  We  should  not  endorse  all  this 
ex-Christian  says.  He  is  very  open  to  just  criticism 
— and  rebuke.  But  he  wields  a  facile  quill  and  it  is 
easy  to  read  after  him.  Some  things,  however,  that 
he  says  are  true.  He  charges  that  The  immense 
moral  catastrophe  of  the  [European]  war  is  the 
last  and  most  convincing  demonstration  that  the 
great  churches  of  Christendom  have  lost  their  power 


246  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

to  keep  man  from  sin,  to  guide  him  in  an  upward 
path,  and  to  make  him  happy;  for  the  churches  are 
helpless  in  the  presence  of  this  terrible  mass  of  long- 
planned,  elaborately  continued  human  sin,  shame  and 
suffering/  He  makes  a  powerful  indictment  of  the 
churches.  But  he  need  not  have  gone  across  the 
water  to  prove  the  churches*  great  deficiency;  for 
here  in  our  own  country,  because  Christendom  has 
lost  her  first  love,  beautifully  manifested  in  Com- 
munity, tens  of  thousands  of  her  members  are  unre- 
lieved and  unhelped,  lack  necessaries,  are  sick  at 
heart,  and  go  slowly  and  sadly  down  to  the  grave. 
Alas!  the  brotherly  spirit  if  it  exists  at  all  is  in  a 
deep,  deep  sleep.  Christians  will  not  agree  together 
to  befriend  one  another  in  a  true  Christian  System 
of  living  together.  I  entreat  all  who  are  called  Chris- 
tians to  give  this  matter  gravest  consideration." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  begin  to  see  more  in  the  Christian 
Society  than  ever  before.  You  see,  we  are  taught  in 
Protestantism  that  the  Word  is  all;  on  the  other 
hand  in  Catholicism  it  is  the  Church — which  is 
usually  confined  to  what  is  called  the  teaching 
church,  namely,  the  priesthood.  In  the  former,  the 
slogan  is  'The  Bible,  the  Bible  alone,  is  the  religion 
of  Protestants ;'  in  the  latter,  'Hear  the  Church/  The 
former  lays  its  stress  upon  belief;  the  latter  upon 
obedience  to  the  hierarchy.  Neither  is  wholly  right. 
The  Gospel  and  faith  are  certainly  of  God :  we  must 
know,  believe  and  obey  the  Gospel.  But  the  Bible 
also  talks  of  a  life  of  love — not  such  mere  civility  and 
geniality  as  passes  among  most  persons  for  love,  but 
a  real,  benevolent,  self-sacrificing  service  of  the 
brethren.  And  here  Protestantism  is  nearly  a  dead 
letter,  except  in  units.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Church  of  God  is  not  Rome's  idea  of  it;  and  as  for 
The  Faith,  we  know  that  Gospel  preaching  has  never 
under  the  Papacy  been  of  paramount  importance. 


The  Community  a  Converting  Agency  247 

Indoctrination  into  the  definitions  of  Rome  has  been 
industriously  pursued  in  the  place  of  simple  Gospel 
preaching.  I  urge  all  to  give  the  mutual  fervent  love 
of  the  ancient  time  and  the  sanctuary  of  the  Com- 
munity a  place  again  in  the  world." 

"Well,  Dad,  a  stranger  in  a  city  is  like  a  man  lost 
in  the  woods.  There  is  no  hospice  to  receive  him; 
no  brethren  to  greet  him ;  no  love  to  touch  him..  And 
in  this  right?  Of  old  he  inquired  for  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  Christians,  and  there  found  the  fathers 
and  mothers,  the  brothers  and  sisters  Jesus  said  he 
should." 

"Now,  John,  I  want  you  to  do  three  things  with 
me:  1,  Take  account  of  the  design  of  Christ  to 
create  a  Body  in  the  world  that  would  supplement 
the  Word,  or  Gospel,  and  present  that  Word  to  men 
believed  and  lived;  2,  Go  with  me  into  Community 
quarters  and  see  the  real  conditions  or  atmosphere  of 
the  Society;  3,  Behold  the  Community  as  a  trans- 
forming institution,  a  great  converting  agency,  at- 
tracting a  thoughtful  observer  to  the  better  life,  the 
life  according  to  God." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  shall  be  glad  to  comply  with  your 
request." 

"Well,  John,  we  will  first  take  up  Christ's  design 
to  create  and  maintain  in  the  world,  before  the  eyes 
of  men,  the  Gospel  lived  as  well  as  preached;  the 
Gospel  not  a  good  message  simply  but  transmuted  by 
faith  into  salvation  and  hope;  not  a  showing  of  the 
way  to  go  but  a  great  host  going  it,  walking  in  that 
way.  He  never  thought  to  have  Christianity  pre- 
sented to  men  as  mere  precept,  but  intended  they 
should  see  it  in  practice.  Hear  it  again :  the  Gospel 
preached  and  lived;  the  story  of  salvation  and  life 
demonstrated  in  saved  and  hope-filled  personalities; 
with  pointing  of  the  way,  goers  therein.  And  of 


248  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

course  this  called  for  individuals,  personalities,  liv- 
ing men  and  women,  a  body,  a  Community." 

"The  Word  of  God  in  itself  is  a  lamp  and  a  light. 
It  informs  us.  It  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul. 
The  revelation  of  the  law  and  of  the  Gospel  manifest 
respectively  righteousness  and  mercy.  But  there 
must  be  seeing  as  well  as  hearing.  Something  heard 
to  be  believed;  something  seen  to  be  copied  or  fol- 
lowed. The  preaching  to  be  heard ;  the  Community 
life  to  be  seen;  or  the  life  of  some  individual  disci- 
ple. Hearing  and  seeing:  as  Paul  says:  Those 
things  which  ye  have  both  heard  and  seen  in  me,  do/ 
Visible,  that  it  may  be  seen.  Conduct,  manner  of 
life,  sort  of  behavior.  Thou  hast  fully  known 
[Marg.  been  a  diligent  follower  of]  my  doctrine, 
manner  of  life,  purpose/  etc.,  wrote  Paul  to  Timo- 
thy; manner  of  living,  observe,  as  well  as  doctrine, 
that  is,  teaching.  And  again  to  the  same  beloved 
Timothy  he  wrote:  These  things  command  and 
teach.  .  .  But  be  thou  an  example  of  the  believers, 
in  word,  in  conversation  [life,  conduct],  in  charity, 
in  spirit,  in  faith,  in  purity?*  Command,  teach;  but 
also  be  an  example  of  the  good  living  you  talk  about 
and  require.  Be  'living  epistles  [letters] ,  known  and 
read  of  all  men/  Christ's  design  was  good  people 
with  the  good  message" 

"Yes,  Dad,  the  People  of  the  new  creation,  and  the 
rule  of  the  new  creature,  love,  lived;  the  two  in- 
dissolubly  joined/* 

"John,  the  New  Testament  is  full  of  it.  Conse- 
crated personalities;  holy,  amiable  sons  of  God — 
Christ  would  have  them,  for  His  glory.  Followers 
after  all  good  things.  'Follow  after  righteousness' ; 
'follow  after  charity' ;  'follow  peace  with  all  men  and 
holiness' ;  'be  followers  of  that  which  is  good' ;  'ever 
follow  that  which  is  good,  both  among  yourselves  and 
to  all  men/  Follow  all  these  good  ways  of  living. 


The  Community  a  Converting  Agency  249 

The  grace  of  God  that  bringeth  salvation  taught  the 
believer  denial  of  worldly  desires  and  the  life  of 
godliness ;  and  the  word  was  emphatic  'exercise  thy- 
self unto  godliness.  Godly  instruction  and  godly  ex- 
ercise. These  characters  were  Christ's  will;  there 
was  power  to  make  such  of  ordinary  men.  They 
were  to  be  conspicuous  to  their  neighbors  in  all  this ; 
shall  I  cite  a  few  scriptures  bearing  upon  this  mat- 
ter?" 

"Do,  please,  Dad." 

"Well  then  hear  Jesus,  first :  'Ye  are  the  light  of 
the  world  [made,  set  to  be  the  world's  light,  to  man- 
ifest the  way] ;  a  city  that  is  set  on  a  hill  cannot  be 
hid.  Neither  do  men  light  a  candle  and  put  it  under 
a  measure  [covering  it] ;  but  on  a  candlestick,  that  it 
may  give  light  unto  all  that  are  in  the  house.  Let 
your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is 
in  heaven.'  And  to  this  agrees  Paul,  writing  to  the 
Community  at  Philippi :  'Be  blameless  and  harmless 
[sincere],  sons  of  God  without  rebuke,  in  the  midst 
of  a  crooked  and  perverse  generation ;  among  whom 
ye  shine  [or,  imperative  mood,  shine  ye]  as  lights  in 
the  world,  holding  forth  the  word  [torch]  of  life.' 
The  torch-bearers  were  to  be  shining  forms — them- 
selves bright  with  the  spiritual  glory  of  the  invisible 
God!  Notice,  men  are  to  be  able  to  'see'  the  good 
works.  The  goodness  is  to  be  palpably  objective. 
'Your  good  conversation  [conduct,  course]  which 
men  behold.'  Paul  talks  very  much  to  the  churches 
about  being  an  example  to  them,  and  prays  them  to 
be  followers  of  himself.  To  the  Thessalonians :  'Ye 
know  how  ye  ought  to  follow  us.  .  .  We  made  our- 
selves ensamples  unto  you  to  follow  us.'  And  again, 
'Ye  became  followers  of  us  and  of  the  Lord'  (after 
receiving  the  Gospel).  And  to  the  Corinthians:  'I 
beseech  you,  be  ye  followers  of  me.'  And  again :  'Be 


250  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

ye  followers  of  me,  as  I  also  am  of  Christ/  You  will 
see  it  is  in  all  cases  an  out-and-out  visibly  new  People 
that  Christ  had  in  mind  for  Himself.  Now  let  us 
go  into  Community  quarters  (a  place  where  these 
Christians  live  together)  and  see  and  feel  the  atmos- 
phere of  their  lives ;  let  us  be  impressed  directly  as 
wax  is  by  a  seal." 

"Dad,  to  know  a  people  we  must  mix  with  them; 
talk  to  them;  hear  them  express  their  principles; 
take  notice  of  their  demeanor;  see  exactly  their 
every-day  life." 

"Yes,  John.  Thus  will  we  do  toward  the  members 
of  the  Christian  Association.  I  ask  you  to  observe : 
1,  The  spiritual  mien  of  the  Communists;  2,  their 
composure,  restfulness,  serenity;  3,  their  deep  con- 
tentment ;  4,  their  joyf  ulness ;  5,  how  untroubled  they 
are  in  labor ;  6,  their  forwardness  to  help  each  other ; 
7,  their  courtesy  to  strangers.  There  is  among  men 
what  is  called  'the  upward  look/  the  far-away  vision 
which  sees  the  Invisible  and  holds  communion  with 
Him.  Then  there  is,  alas !  'the  downward  look/  with 
one's  face  to  the  earth  in  grief  and  despair.  This 
last  is  the  case  with  millions  in  this  world,  ground 
down  by  avarice,  robbed  of  their  rights.  Our  Com- 
munists have,  as  we  say,  the  upward  look  and  the 
changed  countenance.  A  brother,  helped  a  little  by 
another,  brought  home  a  bundle  of  work,  and  on  the 
bundle  wrote  the  name  of  his  customer,  adding  to  it 
the  two  words  'saint'  and  'priest/  The  Communists 
are  'saints/  God's  dedicated  and  devoted  people. 
But  they  are  more ;  they  are  also  'priests'  unto  God. 
A  priest  must  have  something  to  offer,  or  he  could 
not  be  a  priest ;  that  is,  perform  the  work  of  a  priest. 
They  have  no  sin-sacrifice  to  offer.  Sacrifices  for 
sin  have  passed ;  except  in  that  terrible  misrepresen- 
tation of  Christianity  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
The  last  sacrifice  for  sin  was  offered  by  our  great 


The  Community  a  Converting  Agency  251 

High  Priest,  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God.  The  victim  was 
Himself.  The  place  of  offering  was  Calvary,  which 
is  a  little  outside  of  Jerusalem.  But  still  there  are 
offerings  to  God  and  priests  to  offer  them.  The 
Apostle  Peter  tells  us  about  this  as  follows :  'Ye  as 
living  stones  [upon  the  living  Christ]  are  built  up  a 
spiritual  house,  a  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spirit- 
ual sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ/ 
And  out  of  hearts  filled  with  gratitude  for  mercy 
received  and  for  assisting  grace  to  overcome  the 
world — its  greed,  lasciviousness,  anger,  and  the  like 
— they  present  to  God  songs  and  hymns  and  praises, 
along  with  service  by  all  their  powers  and  members. 
Their  faces  show  what  they  are.  They  have  a 
heavenly  cast  upon  them.  As  the  voluptuary  shows 
it,  as  the  artist  shows  it,  so  the  devoted  servant  of 
God,  full  of  faith  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  shows  it.  Wis- 
dom, reverence,  love  are  stamped  upon  their  faces." 

"Dear  Dad,  there  is  something  in  the  face  of  the 
genuine,  habitually  good  man  that  is  perceivable  by 
others;  there  is  a  facial  expression  of  the  heart's 
goodness.  There  is  a  remarkable  statement  about 
Stephen,  the  first  Christian  martyr,  'a  man  full  of 
faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost/  He  was  a  man  filled 
up  with  God.  While  he  was  being  tried,  we  read,  his 
judges,  'looking  steadfastly  on  Trim,  saw  as  it  were 
the  face  of  an  angel.'  We  may  expect,  even  if  when 
we  are  newly  departed  from  the  thief's  business  of 
the  modern  plunderbus  there  is  no  observable  change, 
that  with  time  there  will  come  an  alteration  in  our 
features,  a  transformation." 

"Now  observe,  John,  their  serenity,  their  com- 
posure, their  restfulness.  No  agitation  of  worry, 
no  anticipation  of  want,  no  fearfulness  of  a  deluge  is 
in  their  hearts.  They  have  found  repose  in  the  ever- 
faithful  love  of  God.  They  rest  in  the  Lord—by 
faith.  They  believe  in  the  love  of  Him  who  proved 


252  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

His  interest  in  them  by  dying  for  them.  They  have 
confidence  in  the  integrity  and  plighted  word  of  their 
brethren  in  the  Community  covenant  of  love  and 
support,  and  hence  they  are  composure  personified, 
more  serene  and  calm  than  a  summer's  eve.  The 
Kingdom  is  here ;  it  is  one  of  great  peace." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  cannot  see  that  persons  so  environed 
have  anything  within  themselves  to  disturb  them,  al- 
though from  without  there  may  come  molestation, 
that  is  persecution  and  oppression." 

"Dear  John,  their  deep  contentment  is  manifest. 
Their  holy  rule  is,  'Be  content  with  such  things  as  ye 
have';  and  again,  'Having  food  and  raiment,  let  us 
therewith  be  content.'  They  are  admonished  that 
'Godliness  with  contentment  is  great  gain/  They 
believe  in  'gain/  but  it  is  the  'great  gain*  of  godliness 
with  contentment.  Having  sufficient  for  their  daily 
wants,  their  passing  needs,  they  crave  not  a  super- 
abundance they  can  never  use,  like  the  unwise 
grasper  of  this  world.  'Give  us  for  the  day  our  daily 
bread/  they  pray,  as  they  fulfil  their  duty  of  work; 
God  gives  it  and  they  are  content.  Let  the  rich  fools 
of  earth  think  of  barns  filled  with  supplies  for  many 
years  ahead;  these  brethren  in  Community  have 
God's  constant  care  for  them  as  their  reliance  and 
are  content.  No  murmuring  is  heard  in  their  street." 

"Dear  Dad,  a  man  can  hardly  be  content  with  the 
way  he  is  treated  in  the  world ;  but  in  the  Christian 
Society  you  sketch  there  is  solid  ground  for  content- 
ment. I  do  not  see  how  a  man  can  be  other  than 
satisfied." 

"Observe  the  joyfulness,  John,  of  this  blessed 
People.  Sorrow  they  have,  weeping  for  others, 
especially  for  their  fellow-Christians  who  choose  to 
remain  the  willing,  oppressed  captives  of  Satan  and 
of  the  greedy  exploiters  of  the  world,  when  they 
might  by  combination  fly  from  their  enemies.  But 


The  Community  a  Converting  Agency  253 

joy  they  have  also ;  for  the  Kingdom  of  God  means  to 
those  who  enter  into  it  joy — joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit; 
joy  in  their  conditions  of  earthly  living.  Every  bird, 
as  it  were,  sings  for  them.  Joy  wells  up  in  their 
hearts.  How.  untroubled,  too,  they  are  in  labor! 
They  need  not  accomplish  a  certain  task  set  by  bosses 
regardless  of  their  comfort  or  ability  or  lose 
their  job.  They  are  not  oppressed  with  the  night- 
mare that  they  will  probably  waste  time  between  the 
work  they  are  on  and  the  next  job  and  'run  behind* 
again.  Life  is  not  to  them  a  continual,  hopeless 
struggle  to  once  attain  economic  freedom.  No,  no. 
They  just  keep  at  their  work,  being  diligent  in  busi- 
ness, and  do  what  they  are  able,  easily,  and  there  it 
ends.  They  leave  at  night  without  a  thought  to  break 
their  sleep.  'Diligent  in  business,  serving  the  Lord :' 
not  serving  a  slave-master ;  not  serving  a  stranger's 
greedy  propensities  and  aims;  in  their  labor  they 
serve  the  brethren,  the  brethren  they  love — and 
themselves.  For  he  serves  himself  best  who  is  the 
devoted,  untiring  servant  of  others." 

"Dad,  I  cannot  express  fully  my  delight  with  the 
sights  of  the  Community." 

"John,  their  forwardness  to  help  each  other,  how 
it  pleases  me.  They  have  not  to  be  importuned.  Un- 
willingness has  not  to  be  overcome.  They  look  to  see 
where  they  can  serve.  They  are  forward,  take  the 
initiative  in  assistance.  They  suggest  comforts; 
offer  to  make  them.  They  pray  and  labor  spon- 
taneously from  love  and  goodwill  for  the  benefit  of 
others.  Then,  last,  see  how  polite,  how  courteous 
they  have  been  to  us.  How  affable!  how  ready  to 
converse !  If  we  were  in  want  we  should  be  invited 
to  their  hospitality.  We  have  seen  the  Christian 
Communist  and  his  life:  is  he  a  good  fellow?  is  his 
mode  of  life  blessed  or  cursed?  I  say,  it  is  altogether 
blessed." 


254  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"Dear  Dad,  the  System  is  as  admirable  as  it  is  pos- 
sible. The  covenanters  standing  loyally  to  their 
word,  that  loyalty  being  secured  by  continuing  love, 
it  must  succeed.  And  more,  it  cannot  be  excelled." 

"But,  now,  John,  it  remains  for  us  to  consider  the 
Brotherly  Community's  effect  upon  observers.  I  in- 
vited you  to  behold  the  Community  as  a  transforming 
Institution,  a  great  converting  agency,  attracting  a 
thoughtful  observer  to  a  better  life,  the  life  accord- 
ing to  God.  It  is  the  great  question  of  influence: 
now  what  we  are  and  do  affects  those  who  know 
about  it  and  come  in  contact  with  us.  And  I  think 
we  will  agree,  to  begin  with,  that  it  will  either  be 
beneficially  or  injuriously.  Let  us  remember  the 
twofold  instruments  of  the  new  Christian  Com- 
munity: 1,  testimony  of  the  gospel;  2,  conduct,  set- 
ting a  copy  for  others  to  pattern  after.  But  it  is 
more  particularly  the  will  of  God  lived  by  them  of 
which  I  would  have  us  take  notice,  embodying  the 
gospel,  showing  to  others  what  it  is  as  interpreted 
in  a  state  of  existence." 

"Dear  John,  action  by  another  does  not  end  with 
him  who  does  the  act.  'No  man  liveth  unto  himself/ 
We  operate,  often  unconsciously  and  certainly  with- 
out volition,  upon  our  neighbors  and  particularly 
our  companions — upon  their  personalities.  Our  lives 
are  suggestions;  they  are  either  pervertive  or  con- 
vertive — pervertive  if  bad,  convertive  if  good.  Nor 
is  conversion  always  through  a  formal  setting  forth 
of  dogmas  of  belief  or  a  statement  of  the  require- 
ments of  God;  not  even  directly  through  preaching. 
Peter  supplies  us  with  an  example  of  this.  He  com- 
mands: 'Wives  be  in  subjection  to  your  own  hus- 
bands ;  that,  if  any  obey  not  the  word,  they  also  may, 
without  the  word,  be  won  by  the  conversation  [way 
of  living,  conduct,  behavior]  of  the  wives,  while  they 
behold  your  chaste  conversation  [conduct],  coupled 


The  Community  a  Converting  Agency  255 

with  fear  [reverence  of  God  and  of  their  husbands] .' 
Won  without  the  Word — by  the  chastity  of  the  good 
wife — by  her  reverence  of  God  and  her  husband, 
made  manifest  in  due  compliance  with  their  wills. 
We  now  consider  Community  in  respect  to  its  in- 
fluence upon  others." 

"Dear  Dad,  influence  is  more  formative  of  men's 
lives  than  is  seen.  How  solemn,  that  we  are  making 
men,  for  good  or  bad,  what  they  are." 

"Dear  John,  we  are  all  a  fountain  from  which 
there  ever  flows  a  something  that  we  apprehend  as 
to  idea,  but  of  the  substance  of  which  we  are  yet  in 
the  dark.  It  is  called  "power"  because  it  effectuates 
changes  in  others.  It  is  effluence  as  it  leaves  us,  but 
influence  when  it  reaches  them.  The  word  means 
a  flowing  into.  The  mind,  will,  affections  of  another 
are  affected  by  it  through  sympathetic  thought, 
by  receptivity,  which  is  an  opening  up  of  one's  inner 
self  to  a  positive.  There  can  be  no  influence  of  an- 
other where  nature  closes  against  entrance.  Apply 
this  to  the  Community  life  and  you  will  see  how  it 
makes  for  conversion.  By  conversion  is  now  meant 
a  change  from  the  old  life  of  selfishness  to  the  new 
life  of  benevolence;  from  one's  own  bad  will  to  the 
will  of  God,  which  is,  as  towards  man,  mutual  help- 
fulness." 

"Dear  Dad,  the  outflow  from  good  people  can  only 
be  goodness ;  for  a  fountain  can  only  give  forth  of  its 
contents — what  is  in  it." 

"That  is  it,  John;  hence  what  is  emanated  being 
good  what  is  received  must  be  good.  Now  it  has 
pleased  God  to  make  us  capable  of  change.  We  can 
be  altered  from  what^we  are.  There  are  men  who 
find  fault  with  God  because  He  has  made  us  so ;  but 
personally  I  dare  not  say  to  Him,  'What  doest  Thou?' 
Eve  fell  through  advantage  taken  of  this  law  of  our 
nature.  She  was  depraved;  she  altered  for  the 


256  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

worse,  was  changed  downward.  O  how  thankful  I 
am  that  we  are  not  obliged  to  remain  as  we  are.  We 
can  return  upward — by  change,  or  conversion.  Will 
we  admit  the  'power*  that  can  do  this — the  good  spir- 
itual power?  It  is  for  us  to  say.  That  power  is  per- 
suasive. It  comes  to  us  in  the  Gospel.  Now  listen : 
not  the  Gospel  as  words ;  but  the  Gospel  in  the  Holy 
Spirit,  charged  with  the  God  nature.  That  comes  to 
us  through  a  preacher.  The  stream  of  power  reaches 
us  through  personality.  Here  is  the  Community. 
Its  membership  is  spiritual.  Appeal  is  made,  mighty 
appeal.  The  Word  is  in  faith,  from  men  full  of 
faith ;  that,  with  the  facts,  makes  for  faith  in  us ;  it 
persuades  us.  But  the  life  we  see  is  unadulterated 
love;  love  reigns.  Her  sceptre  is  golden.  We  are 
impressed;  convicted;  converted.  Convinced  that 
this  is  the  right  way,  the  good  way,  God's  way,  we 
surrender — are  converted.  The  things  in  Com- 
munity are  all  of  a  converting  tendency;  they  com- 
mend themselves  to  us:  will  we  be  converted?  If 
we  are  stubborn,  or  prejudiced,  or  opinionated,  we 
will  not  be.  If  we  are  docile  and  receptive  we  will 
be,  receiving  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Business  That  Is  Not  Service  of  Bad  Men 


"DEAR  John,  the  man  who  has  been  taught  of  God 
with  regard  to  Jesus  His  Son  accepts  Him  as  his  own 
and  the  world's  Saviour.  He  beholds  in  Him  as  the 
Christ  the  one  made  mighty  through  the  Spirit  to  do 
acts  of  God  as  no  other  man  ever  could — deeds  of 
grace  the  half  of  which  have  never  been  told.  He 
recognizes  His  exaltation  to  lordship,  which  makes 
Him  Lord  even  of  lords  and  King  of  kings.  And  for 
himself  he  falls  down  before  Him  with  homage  of 
heart  and  prostration  of  body,  confessing,  'My  Lord 
and  my  God/  That  is  how  it  is  with  a  Christian,  who 
differs  from,  say  a  Christian  Scientist,  or  any  other 
'ist'  in  whose  system  there  is  no  central  Object,  per- 
sonality being  denied.  A  religionist  may  enthuse 
over  'character/  such  as  the  drawn  portrait  of  a 
novel  writer,  to  whose  imagined  man  there  is  no 
entity.  There  is  entity,  personality,  to  the  Chris- 
tian's Jesus.  The  warmth  of  feeling  within  him  is 
for  a  living  Being;  and  as  it  is  a  Person  he  has  to 
do  with,  obligation  of  obedience  to  Him  becomes 
paramount  in  his  thinking  and  acting.  Why  obe- 
dience? Because  the  same  Jesus  as  was  crucified, 
having  been  quickened  and  raised  again,  has  been 
made  Lord  over  all  the  universe.  That  is  where  the 
Christian  Science  religion  is  utterly  unacceptable 
and  repugnant  to  a  Christian.  In  its  system  there 


258  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

is  now  no  personal  Jesus,  to  be  acknowledged,  loved 
and  obeyed." 

"Dear  Dad,  personality  is  the  essence  of  the  true 
religion.  First,  a  personal  God,  a  living  Father. 
'He  that  cometh  to  God  must  believe  that  He  is.' 
Then  a  personal  Mediator  between  God  and  man.  As 
it  is  written :  There  is  one  God,  and  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  men,  the  Man  Christ  Jesus/  Of 
course  where  it  is  held  that  man  is  not  a  being  who 
needs  to  be  saved,  it  follows  that  there  will  be  denial 
of  the  Arm  of  Jehovah,  the  Child  of  the  Highest,  the 
divine  Jesus.  Personality  for  affection,  for  obe- 
dience; to  be  pleased  and  honored.  The  teaching, 
whatever  it  be,  that  declares  Jesus  to  be  a  dissipated 
material  conception  or  a  drawn  character  of  some 
religionist  of  the  first  century,  is  to  be  rejected  in- 
stantly and  absolutely  without  further  examination. 
Paul  spoke  for  Christians  of  all  time,  saying :  'We 
trust  in  the  living  God/  To  us  there  is  but  one  God 
the  Father,  and  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ/  Our  Lord 
Jesus  lives  and  is  over  all ;  for  blessing  to  those  who 
acknowledge  and  obey  Him;  for  judgment  to  those 
who  recognize  Him  not  or  say  'We  will  not  have  this 
Man  to  reign  over  us/  ' 

"Dear  John,  I  refer  to  Jesus  as  living  Lord  for 
a  purpose.  Think  of  His  great  love  for  our  race,  for 
us  individually.  Think  how  for  three  years  He 
served  us,  teaching  us  about  God,  telling  us  of  His 
grace  towards  us,  healing  our  sick,  exorcising 
demons  from  the  oppressed  and  tortured,  proclaim- 
ing the  coming  of  a  blessed  heavenly  System  upon 
earth,  praying  for  us — doing  it  all  for  nothing! 
Absolutely  for  not  a  penny  of  material  recompense ! 
Indeed,  enduring  dislike  and  obloquy  while  giving 
us  all  this  service.  Men  listening  to  Him  to  get  Him 
into  trouble.  Proposing  questions — sometimes  lead- 
ing questions,  as  they  are  called  in  law — to  have 


Business  that  Serves  Not  Sinners    259 

Him  commit  Himself  in  evil-speaking  of  the  Law  or 
treason  toward  Caesar.  Finally,  permitting  Himself 
to  be  hanged  on  a  cross  for  our  redemption.  0  what 
love !  As  the  hymn  asks :  'How  can  I  but  love  Him  T 
A  personal  Jesus — with  great  constraint  put  upon  us 
by  His  great  personal  kindness  and  sacrifice,  to  give 
Him  our  sacred,  inner  attachment  of  devoted  love. 
That  is  first,  but  not  all.  With  trust  in  Him  we  are 
His  love-slaves.  Be  it  so,  only  more  so  forever !  To 
Him  we  come  as  to  a  Stone — a  living  Stone — to  make 
Him  the  foundation  of  all  we  are  and  hope.  Our 
heart  lives  for  this  end,  to  be  His.  All  this  is  only 
true  as  personality  is  a  reality  with  us." 

"Dad,  as  you  say,  personality  is  the  beginning  of 
true  religion;  a  necessary  foundation,  if  it  is  to 
stand." 

"Now,  John,  Jesus  is  Lord — Lord  of  men. 
Acknowledged  Lord  by  Christians;  served  and 
obeyed  Lord,  Lord  indeed,  to  all  who  would  be  and 
are  right  with  God.  For  nobody  can  be  right  with 
God  who  denies  His  Appointee;  or  acknowledging 
Him  does  not  allow  Him  to  control  him — his1  heart 
and  his  life — by  His  Spirit  and  laws.  And  here 
comes  the  vital  matter  of  Christian  living.  It  is  vital 
to  a  man  who  means  things ;  whose  Christianity  is  an 
earnest  reality.  You  see  it  is  this  way :  This  living 
Lord  Jesus  is  to  be  pleased  and  honored.  Pleased: 
we  know  what  it  is  to  be  pleased  in  or  with  the  course 
of  another.  We  know  what  the  delight  of  a  father 
is  in  a  good  child.  So  are  we  to  be  the  pleasure  of 
our  Lord  Jesus.  Then  as  to  honor:  we  have  His 
honor  to  maintain  among  men,  and  the  only  way  to 
do  it  is  to  scrupulously  respect  His  authority  by  per- 
sonal subjection  to  Him,  that  is  by  carrying  out  of 
His  laws  as  delivered  to  us  and  in  the  spirit  He  has 
intimated  and  which  He  gives.  Tender  yourself  to 
me/  said  an  old  King  to  a  subject,  'and  I  will  be  good 


260  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

Lord  to  you* :  we  are  to  tender  ourselves  to  Jesus  by 
willing,  cheerful  compliance  with  His  plain  and  sim- 
ple commands." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  true ;  it  is  true :  His  overlordship, 
in  the  nature  of  things,  means  our  going  at  His  com- 
mand, our  coming  at  His  call,  our  doing  things  at  His 
bidding.  It  is  binding  on  us  by  His  relationship  to 
us;  it  is  pleasure  to  us  through  the  knowledge  that 
all  His  laws  are  good,  beneficial  in  their  aim  and  end, 
and  honor  and  peace  to  us  in  their  fulfillment." 

"0  John,  it  means  so  much  to  me  to  so  act  as  to  be 
approved  of  my  Master  in  heaven  and  gain  His 
commendation  for  a  life  well-lived  and  work  well- 
done.  'Study,'  said  Paul  to  Timothy  'to  show  thyself 
approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that  needeth  not  to 
be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth/ 
And  my  ambition — towering  above  all  ambitions — is, 
to  be  commended  of  Him  with  'Well  done,  thou  good 
and  faithful  servant.'  Approval  by  Him  who  is 
placed  over  me  as  Lord;  praise  from  His  lips:  if  I 
am  so  happy  as  to  gain  these  I  shall  be  happy  indeed. 
Jesus  himself,  in  His  trial  days,  was  'a  Man  approved 
of  God/  His  Father;  and  He  received  from  Heaven 
the  witness  and  encomium,  'This  is  My  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased :  hear  ye  Him/  'My 
darling  boy  and  My  delight/  no  wonder  the  Father 
loved  Him  so  well!  A  true  Christian  wants  to  be 
satisfactory  to  His  Lord  and  one  of  those  whose 
praise  is  not  of  men  but  of  God.  0  may  Jesus  ever 
be  satisfied  with  me;  and  may  He  have  that  in  my 
spirit  and  course  that  He  can  praise!  And  now, 
John,  here  begins  the  endeavor  on  our  part  to  do  His 
will;  the  purpose  and  submission,  of  course,  neces- 
sary therefor  being  implied." 

"Dad,  wishing  only  will  not  yield  results  such  as 
you  describe ;  sturdy  resolution  and  a  great  fight  are 
before  a  man  who  decides  at  any  cost  and  by  suprem- 


Business  That  Serves  Not  Sinners     261 

est  effort  to  be  thus  satisfactory  to  Christ  and  have 
honorable  mention  from  Him." 

"John,  that  is  exactly  it.  And  here  the  question 
arises :  'Can  a  man  carry  on  business  in  this  world, 
as  business  is  required  to  be  conducted  in  order  to 
profit,  by  which  is  meant  not  a  fortune  but  a  living, 
and  in  so  doing  maintain  his  Christian  standing  be- 
fore his  Xord,  preserving  an  approving  conscience, 
and  having  the  testimony  of  Christ  through  the 
same  that  he  is  living  unblameably  and  to  His 
entire  satisfaction?'  I  answer,  he  cannot.  Mark,  I 
am  not  saying  he  cannot  be  engaged  in  business — of 
some  sort,  and  be  a  Christian.  He  can.  He  can  be, 
as  exhorted,  'diligent  in  business,  fervent  in  spirit, 
serving  the  Lord/  But  such  business — such  service 
as  wicked  men  impose — such  work  as  present  indus- 
trial conditions  oblige  men  to  do,  cannot  be  followed 
and  the  doer  remain  undefiled  before  God,  a  worker 
of  good  only." 

"Well,  Dad,  that  being  so,  what  must  we  do  to  get 
the  bread  and  butter  needed  for  our  subsistence? 
How  can  a  man  get  a  living  and  at  the  same  time  be 
wholly  a  servant  of  Jesus?  It  appears  to  me  to  be 
one  of  the  greatest  of  problems." 

"Dear  John,  it  is,  as  you  say,  among  the  greatest 
of  questions  which  can  engage  a  Christian  mind; 
but  we  never  hear  it  discoursed  upon  from  the  pul- 
pit. Hence  believers  are  not  clear  of  sin  before 
Christ.  They  are  not  strong  in  confidence  of  their 
Christian  standing.  They  have  not  the  certain  testi- 
mony that  their  ways  please  the  Lord.  But  when  a 
man  is  able  to  sit  down  and  think  up  his  business-life 
and  activities,  and  pass  upon  them  as  performed  in 
harmony  with  the  moral  and  evangelical  laws  of 
righteousness  and  love,  he  is  assured  in  heart,  in  the 
presence  of  Christ,  that  he  is  His  servant.  The  best 
a  man  can  come  to  who  is  not  able  to  do  this  is  the 


262  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

desire  and  intention  to  be  a  Christian  in  business 
as  well  as  in  feeling,  and  so  he  asks  recognition  of 
the  Lord.  But  upon  him  is  defilement ;  he  is  unclean 
because  of  his  unholy  business  relations  and  con- 
duct; not  made  by  him,  but  submitted  to  and 
carried  out  in  his  capacity  of  a  hired  ser- 
vant. And  if  you  ask  him  why;  he  will  tell 
you  it  is  the  inescapable  condition  of  living. 
But  is  it?  I  answer,  it  is  not;  a  man  can  be  busy 
another  way  and  live  and  keep  himself  free  from 
iniquity." 

"Please,  dear  Dad,  specify  upon  this  line." 

"I  will,  John.  In  the  world  there  are  many  bad 
people.  I  have  shown  you  that  prophecy  has  pre- 
dicted that  in  the  last  days  men  shall  be  evil  in  all 
sorts  of  ways,  those  ways  being  told.  'Lo  this  only 
have  I  found,  that  God  hath  made  man  upright,  but 
they  have  sought  out  many  inventions/  says  an  old 
scripture.  To-day  those  inventions  are  greatly  mul- 
tiplied; and  as  it  was  said  of  Ephraim,  'Ephraim 
hath  made  many  altars  to  sin/  so  by  parallel  it  can 
be  said  our  generation  have  conceived  many  devices 
for  sinning.  This  is  the  age  of  supreme  sinfulness. 
The  marauders  of  this  world  are  numerous. 
Through  facility  of  travel  they  go  from  place  to 
place  studying  conditions,  chances,  schemes  to  plun- 
der. They  hit  upon  many  ways  to  exploit  the  world. 
And  then  they  get  busy." 

"Dad,  I  remember,  you  made  a  statement,  that 
business  is  anything  a  man  busies  himself  with — 
usually  with  thought  of  getting  a  living;  although 
you  made  the  distinction  that  with  bad  men  it  was 
to  make  a  fortune,  a  number  of  livings,  and  wrong- 
ing others  to  accomplish  their  end." 

"Well,  now,  John,  business  cannot  be  carried  on 
by  one  man — not  the  common  business  of  life.  And 
so  he  who  would  do  business — big  business — must 


Bminess  that  Serves  Not  Sinners    263 

have  diggers,  constructors,  carters,  agents,  with 
office  clerks,  collectors,  and  almost  every  kind  of  as- 
sistant. And  he  seeks  where  he  can  find  them;  and 
finding  them  puts  them  to  work.  And  it  is  here 
where  'peril*  conies  for  the  men  who  must  work 
under  others.  And  here  it  is  that  they  become  'tools' 
of  the  spoilers ;  and  yield  their  members  to  be  instru- 
ments of  sin.  Yes,  Christian  men  are  compelled  to 
do  un-Christian  things !  Have  to  do  them  as  duties 
of  their  office !  It  is  frightful !  Horrible,  horrible ! 
that  men  of  Christian  principles  and  conscience  are 
compelled  to  be  sin's  executives !  That  their  hands, 
tongues,  feet  must  be  lent  to  greed,  mercilessness, 
anger,  and  every  scheme  of  the  unregenerate !" 
"Tell  me  some  instances,  as  examples,  dear  Dad." 
"I  will,  John.  I  will  take  up  the  two  classes,  store- 
keepers and  their  salaried  men — salesmen,  clerks, 
etc.  Storekeepers  are  general  merchantmen  and  fre- 
quently special  agents  as  well.  Now,  if  they  are 
under  authority  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  do  His  will  and 
to  act  in  accordance  with  godliness,  they  cannot  sell 
many  things  that  are  usually  carried  by  the  trade — 
generally  the  best-paying.  And  then,  too,  they  can 
not  be  purveyors  or  suppliers  of  those  things  that 
minister  to  sinful  propensities,  as  appetite,  pride  of 
appearance  and  requisites  for  society  functions.  A 
brother  who  kept  a  small  store  held  in  conscience 
that  he  could  not  sell  cigars  and  tobacco.  He  said, 
for  these  there  was  greater  demand  than  for  the  rest 
of  the  goods  sold,  and  the  margin  of  profit  was 
larger.  A  near-by  storekeeper,  with  no  conscience 
toward  Christ  or  his  fellows,  was  prospering;  but 
the  outlook  for  the  brother  was  that  he  must  go  to 
the  wall.  A  dry-goods  storeman  must  keep,  for  a 
furnished  store,  rich,  elegant,  expensive  things  for 
the  adornment  (not  need  and  neatness)  of  the  proud 
and  gay;  and  thus  help  or  be  an  accessory  of  pride 


264  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

and  gaiety  and  godlessness,  which  he  knows  is  con- 
demned by  the  laws  of  Christ.  And  even  worse,  he 
must  be  the  indirect  servant  of  seduction  and  profli- 
gacy, supplying  various  garments  that  do  not  cover 
nakedness,  and  are  often  used  as  a  lure  to  unchas- 
tity.  The  Christian  drygoodsman  can  tell  all  the 
rest  of  it  wherein  he  cannot  be  strictly  Christian 
and  carry  the  goods  demanded  of  him.  Likewise 
men's  clothiers  and  sellers  of  boots:  they  will  tell 
you  of  cut-a-way,  swell  clothing,  open  vests,  dance 
shoes  and  slippers,  none  of  which  are  necessaries  of 
the  simple,  sane  life  of  godliness,  which  they  must 
sell  or  close  their  doors — go  out  of  business.  Per- 
haps also  the  storekeeper  is  the  appointed  agent  for 
a  special  line  of  goods.  Several  manufacturers  have 
conspired  with  one  another  to  keep  up  prices.  It  is 
called  by  the  law  monopoly ;  it  is  done  in  selfishness 
and  to  the  restraint  of  trade.  To  handle  those  goods 
he  is  put  under  a  promise,  and  sometimes  penalty, 
to  be  subservient  to  the  manufacturer.  He  gives 
away  his  freedom ;  helps  the  monopolists  and  breaks 
the  law.  Should  a  Christian  man  place  himself  in 
such  relation  toward  any?  Should  he  aid  the  dog  in 
the  manger?" 

"Dear  Dad,  many  things  can  be  mentioned  which 
are  forbidden  by  God  to  Christians,  as  gold,  and 
pearls,  and  costly  array,  and  I  know  not  how 
many  other  things ;  and  yet  by  the  business  of  to-day 
a  Christian  must  have  them  on  hand  to  sell  to  others, 
and  make  profit  out  of  them,  to  follow  his  business. 
Are  these  incongruous  things  consistent  with  entire 
discipleship." 

"John,  I  think  not.  And  then  look  at  the  working 
businesses.  Here,  for  example,  is  a  printer.  He  is 
opposed  to  the  liquor  saloon  and  the  whole  business 
of  making  and  retailing  intoxicants.  But  he  is  a 
printer  and  by  printing  he  gets  his  living.  He  says 


Business  that  Serves  Not  Sinners    265 

he  is  not  responsible  for  other  persons'  businesses; 
and  so  as  a  matter  of  business  he  prints  the  labels, 
bills  and  letter  headings,  and  general  stationery  of  a 
brewer.  He  does  it  under  protest  of  conscience.  Is 
he  excused?  Is  he  in  that  business  serving  God  and 
acceptable  to  Christ?  But,  John,  let  me  turn  your 
attention  to  the  underlings,  the  hired  help.  Their 
condition  is  the  most  pathetic.  It  is  the  most  pathetic 
because  they  are  the  most  dependent.  Think  of  the 
salesmen  and  saleswomen  in  a  store.  They  desire  to 
make  good.  They  know  the  keeping  of  their  position 
depends  upon  the  number  of  their  sales.  And  here 
temptation  to  wrong-doing  presents  itself.  If  a  cus- 
tomer wants  something  that  is  not  in  stock  a  substi- 
tute is  suggested.  It  counts  against  a  salesman  if  he 
cannot  persuade  a  prospective  purchaser  to  buy  the 
substitute.  Usually  he  is  expected  to  say  the  article 
offered  is  "just  as  good/  He  does  not  know  it  is  as 
good;  but  the  temptation  is  to  risk  telling  a  lie — 
through  the  exigency  of  his  condition ;  and  not  infre- 
quently he  takes  the  risk.  Two  prices,  misrepresenta- 
tion regarding  old  stock  and  last  season's  garments 
being  the  fashion,  etc.,  etc.,  confront  the  salesman 
unceasingly." 

"A  salesman,  Dad,  is  often  placed  in  a  trying  situa- 
tion by  present-day  commercialism." 

"Yes,  John ;  but  think  again  of  the  clerks  and  even 
the  higher-ups  in  the  public  companies  of  the  day. 
Let  us  say  they  are  Christians.  In  the  Church  they 
testify  their  discipleship  and  sing  where  Jesus  leads 
they  will  follow.  But  now  go  with  them  into  their 
business  places,  say  the  offices  of  the  electric  light 
and  water  companies.  The  clerk  of  the  water  com- 
pany who  makes  out  the  bills  comes  to  a  name.  No 
water  has  been  taken  during  the  month.  The  house 
is  vacant.  Still  he  has  to  make  a  charge  of  fifty 
cents.  It  is  pure  robbery !  True,  by  contract,  a  man 


266  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

is  bound  to  give  notice  and  have  service  discon- 
tinued; but  the  law  itself  is  unjust.  If  a  man  will 
not  sign  it  he  can  get  no  water.  The  clerk  with  a 
conscience  makes  out  the  bill,  and  so  is  in  collusion 
with  the  thieves !  So,  too,  the  electric  light  clerk — he 
is  compelled  to  perform  a  similar  service  and  be- 
come an  agent  in  wrong-doing.  The  man  who  stands 
at  the  window  to  receive  payments  for  water  or 
electric  light  service  gets  his  turn.  Notice  has  been 
served  on  a  delinquent  to  pay  or  have  the  water  or 
electricity  cut  off  from  a  premises  in  two  or  three 
days.  The  taker  cannot  get  the  money,  little  as  it 
is;  can  neither  earn  nor  borrow  it;  and  so  he  goes 
with  cheapened  face  and  reluctant  step  to  ask  a  few 
days'  longer  wait  to  let  him  try  once  more.  He 
tells  secrets  of  his  destitution  that  he  should  not 
have  to  reveal.  It  is  bad  enough  to  be  in  want  with- 
out the  humiliation  of  having  to  state  it.  The  clerk 
says  the  bill  must  be  paid  or  orders  will  surely  be 
given  of  discontinuance  of  service.  Oftentimes  hav- 
ing to  talk  in  this  way  has  perverted  his  tender, 
sympathetic  instincts.  He  has  lost  out  in  merciful- 
ness. But  sometimes  one  will  tell  you,  regretfully, 
that  he  is  obliged  to  insist;  that  those  are  his  orders; 
but  that  if  he  could  he  would  personally  be  lenient. 
What  a  bad  fix  he  is  in  through  a  situation  of  this 
sort.  I  pity  him." 

"Dear  Dad,  these  servants  of  the  corporations 
who  have  Christian  hearts  cannot  live  the  forbear- 
ance and  mercifulness  of  their  hearts,  nor  even  be 
honest  men.  They  have  to  become,  unwillingly,  evil 
in  action." 

"John,  it  is  the  same  with  a  collector  for  a  firm. 
His  business  is  to  go  round  monthly  and  receive  pay- 
ment of  the  firm's  accounts.  But  in  this  world  of 
disaster  nobody  knows  what  will  take  place  even  in 
a  day.  An  owner  may  have  a  house  or  two  and 


Business  that  Serves  Not  Sinners    267 

some  income-stock.  The  houses  may  temporarily 
be  empty  and  the  stock  yield  no  dividend.  The  col- 
lector comes  once,  twice,  perhaps  thrice.  The  debtor 
has  not  the  money.  The  company's  agent  looks 
browdy  and  talks  severely.  The  account  will  have 
to  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  firm's  attorney  for 
collection.  It  is  done.  A  summons  is  issued.  Ex- 
penses are  added.  A  judgment  is  obtained.  The 
collector  is  a  Christian.  He  comes  to  tell  you  how 
sorry  he  is ;  but  the  firm  is  insistent  and  he  is  help- 
less. It  is  hard  to  say  which  is  in  the  worst  predica- 
ment, the  delinquent  debtor  or  the  regretful  collector. 
And  so  I  might  continue  speaking  of  servants  who 
are  Christians." 

"Truly,  Dad,  service  of  soulless  or  of  hard  exact- 
ing corporations  is  no  joy  to  a  good  man." 

"And,  John,  think  of  the  film  corporations,  of 
which  there  are  so  many  in  Los  Angeles.  A  leading 
minister  of  the  city  has  struck  up  a  very  chummy 
acquaintance  with  the  movie  picture  people.  They 
can  be  good  church  members ;  and  I  doubt  not  there 
are  some  in  church  fellowship  in  our  city.  Now,  I 
really  think  the  moving  picture  business  can  be  made 
very  serviceable  to  those  who  cannot  travel  in  show- 
ing them  foreign  countries  and  business  as  it  is 
carried  on  abroad;  also  in  reproducing  scenes  of 
history  in  their  old  surroundings.  It  can  also  be 
made  useful  in  teaching  lessons  of  sympathy  and  in 
exposing  injustices,  etc.  Indeed,  the  business  is  not 
without  its  real  usefulness.  And  this,  in  part,  in 
small  part,  is  the  work  done  by  the  movies.  Yet 
many  of  the  films  are  suggestive  of  evil  and  utterly 
depraving.  They  are  f  ramed-up  elopements,  attacks 
upon  virtue,  divorces,  and  rowdy  scenes  of  the  most 
reprehensible  sort,  with  nearly  nude  women  dancing 
or  lounging  with  idle  and  dissolute  men.  In  two  or 
three  cases,  as  evidenced  by  the  pictures  on  the  bill- 


268  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

boards,  some  of  the  performers  (women)  are  utterly 
naked,  or  slightly  gauzed,  which  is  no  better.  I  saw 
one  advertised  lately  called  "The  Hypocrites,"  which 
exposed  outside  the  theatre  a  picture  of  the  kind  I 
mention;  and  another  called  "The  New  Purity," 
which  offended  modesty  and  corrupted  virtue.  Now 
there  are  a  number  of  Christian  women  who  never 
thought  of  being  actresses,  but  since  the  movies  have 
been  so  glorified  and  become  so  apparently  respect- 
able, and  since  very  big  amounts  can  be  earned  for 
taking  parts,  in  their  need  they  have  turned  to  them 
for  a  livelihood.  And  now  think  of  the  parts  they 
have  to  play.  A  young  woman  was  talking  recently 
to  another,  her  senior,  telling  her  of  being  obliged 
to  take  part  in  a  rowdy  underground  dance  hall  as 
an  abandoned  woman  only  half  clad!  She  added, 
'You  have  to  do  anything  they  tell  you  to  do.'  What 
a  paradox  for  a  virtuous  woman  to  act  the  role  of 
a  Magdalen !  I  am  sure  the  young  woman  referred 
to  did  not  do  it  of  pleasure,  nor  could  she  feel  the 
approval  of  her  conscience  in  such  'business'." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  so  destructive  of  chastity  and 
goodness  in  a  woman  that  it  should  be  abhorrent  to 
the  entire  community.  But  women  of  high  standing 
and  of  good  reputation,  so  it  appears,  are  ready  with- 
out shame  to  sell  even  their  nakedness  and  play  at 
seduction  and  harlotry  as  'business' !" 

"John,  you  know  it  is  possible  to  continue  on  this 
line  and  show  that  there  are  many  Christian  men 
and  women  who  are  in  business  where  they  are 
required  to  do  things  that  are  not  honest,  nor  pure, 
nor  kind,  nor  merciful,  nor  Christian;  but  0  how 
can  they  procure  a  livelihood  in  a  better  way?  If 
they  knew  how  they  would  go  at  that  better  work." 

"Dad,  that  is  what  they  say,  when  I  talk  with 
them.  They  want  to  be  good  Christians.  And  they 
frankly  say  a  man  cannot  take  his  Christianity  into 


Business  that  Serves  Not  Sinners    269 

business;  that  he  cannot  do  business  successfully 
and  maintain  Christian  standing." 

"John,  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  the  Apostle  Paul, 
gives  this  commandment,  'Be  not  ye  the  servants  of 
men/  Of  course,  it  does  not  mean,  Do  not  work  for 
anybody;  do  not  minister  to  or  serve  your  fellows. 
No ;  because  it  elsewhere  commands  us  to  work  and 
to  serve.  The  sense  is — do  not  serve  the  selfishness, 
the  greed,  the  anger,  the  lust  of  men.  There  are 
such  sorts  of  men ;  they  offer  a  price  for  service ;  we 
are  not  to  sell  ourselves  for  wages  to  assist  them, 
or  carry  out  their  wicked  schemes." 

"Dad,  this  will  apply  also  to  militarist  ambitions 
and  crimes.  0  if  the  Germans  had  heard  and  heeded 
this  command  when  the  wicked  Kaiser  called  upon 
them  to  up  and  murder  their  neighbors,  against 
whom  no  case  of  wrong  was  ever  made  out!  And 
think  how  they  attacked  the  Belgians,  because  of 
orders  from  their  war-lord !" 

"Yes,  John,  and  it  includes  the  churches  of  to-day 
also.  0  that  all  denominations  of  Christians,  even 
all  the  ministers,  would  hear  and  heed  the  law  not 
to  serve  anybody  as  separatists,  not  even  their  de- 
nomination. For  there  is  service  of  Methodism,  Con- 
gregationalism, Presbyterianism  that  is  not  service 
of  Christ.  In  seeking  our  clan's  glory  we  are  not 
honoring  Christ.  "Be  not  ye  the  servants  of  men" — 
men  singly,  or  men  in  a  party,  for  division  is  sin; 
and  we  should  not  perpetuate  division." 

"But,  Dad,  if  these  Christian  men  who  live  under 
compulsion  of  service  in  things  they  disapprove, 
which  is  condemned  also  by  the  Gospel,  were  to  cease 
such  service,  throw  up  their  jobs,  how  could  they 
live?" 

"John,  here  is  their  asylum.  Here  is  their  work- 
shop. Here  is  their  bed  and  board.  Here  is  their 
sweet,  holy,  heavenly  retreat.  Here  is  the  sheepfold 


270  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

of  security  and  rest.  It  is  the  Community  of  Chris- 
tians, solemnly,  sacredly,  gloriously  pledged  to  each 
other  that  they  will  not  be  the  servants  of  the  vicious 
and  the  vile,  but  helpers  of  each  other  in  all  good 
things.  Who  cannot  see  that  this  is  a  way  of  living 
that  is  a  solution  of  the  important  problem  of  being 
able  to  exist  in  this  world  without  descending  to  the 
prohibited  service  of  corrupt  men  ?" 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
How  It  Feels  to  Be  Poor 


"BETWEEN  thirty  and  forty  years  ago,  in  a  little 
town  near  Boston,  Mass.,  there  was  a  union  church, 
of  which  I  was  pastor.  A  couple,  husband  and  wife, 
worshipped  in  this  church.  They  were  well  advanced 
in  life.  The  husband  was  a  compositor,  and  already 
his  hand  was  shaking  with  age.  His  ability  to  make 
results  had  decreased  and  it  was  not  as  easy  as 
formerly  for  him  to  get  a  job,  although  his  work 
was  excellent.  His  employment  was  precarious  and 
his  earnings  small.  That  meant  that  they  were  poor. 
One  day  I  called  at  their  home.  It  was  clean  and 
tidy,  but  it  was  cheaply  yet  not  shabbily  furnished. 
The  good  woman  seemed  a  little  embarrassed  at  my 
visit,  because  she  had  not  as  'nice'  a  home  as  her 
neighbors.  Passing  the  usual  amenities,  I  entered 
her  living  room.  Speaking  to  me  apologetically,  she 
remarked  they  were  poor,  adding  these  words:  'It 
is  no  disgrace  to  be  poor,  but  it  is  very  inconvenient.' 
I  have  thought  of  her  saying  many  times — it  is  not 
disgraceful  to  be  poor,  but  it  is  the  cause  of  much 
trouble  and  uneasiness  in  life.  O  how  came  it  that 
any  of  us  were  ever  poor !  that  some  of  us  are  poor 
to-day!  It  surely  is  not  a  crime  that  we  have  com- 
mitted ;  yet  it  has  in  it  much  annoyance  and  anxiety. 
John,  I  want  to  speak  to  you  on  how  it  feels  to  be 
poor.  I  purpose  to  let  you  feel  it  with  me  in  a  few 


272  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

selected  cases  from  life,  as  I  have  seen  it  in  others 
and  known  it  in  my  own  experience." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  pray,  'Good  Lord,  deliver  us  from 
poverty/  as  fervently  as  I  do,  'Deliver  us  from  sin 
and  the  Evil  One/  For  that  there  is  an  evil  one, 
and  evil  ones,  around,  is  made  too  true  by  what  we 
realize  to  be  denied." 

"Yes,  John,  it  is  evil  ones,  bad  men,  men  filled 
with  demons,  that  usually  bring  us  into  poverty.  The 
spirits  Desire  and  Grab  are  the  two  worst.  They 
covet  and  take  till  we  have  nothing  left.  Mr.  Henry 
George  delivered  an  address  on  'The  Crime  of  Pov- 
erty/ He  explained  that  the  'crime'  was  not  on  the 
part  of  the  poor,  but  of  those  who  made  them  poor. 
But  the  title  of  his  lecture  is  inexact,  for  a  crime  is 
an  act  of  wrong  committed;  as  murder  is  an  attack 
that  destroys  another's  life.  The  crime  that  means 
poverty  to  one  who  had  something — by  right  or  in 
possession — is  stealing.  'Thou  shalt  not  steal'  is  the 
shot  to  fire  at  the  thief  who  is  usually  the  author 
of  poverty,  or  the  bad  economic  and  industrial  sys- 
tem; for  it  applies  to  a  system  equally  as  to  an 
individual.  But  let  that  pass.  How  does  it  feel  to 
be  poor  ?  for  there  is  a  feeling  that  corresponds  with 
the  state  of  indigency:  what  sort  of  feeling  is  it?" 

"True,  Dad,  as  you  say,  there  is  feeling  along  with 
station  and  condition;  the  mind  senses  it,  for  pleas- 
ure or  pain.  A  king  not  only  knows  that  he  is  His 
Majesty  So-and-so,  but  he  feels  what  that  means  by 
his  environment  and  the  attitude  and  actions  of  those 
about  him.  The  late  Robert  Mclntyre,  beloved  pastor 
of  the  First  M.  E.  Church  of  this  city,  exalted  by 
his  denomination  to  be  one  of  its  chief  rulers,  an- 
nounced on  his  return  from  Conference  that  he 
would  deliver  a  lecture  on  'How  It  Feels  to  Be  a 
Bishop/  Certainly  there  was  in  the  bishopric  of 
this  society  something  more  than  in  being  a  local 


How  it  Feels  to  be  Poor  273 

minister ;  its  duties  were  different.  'How  does  it  feel 
to  be  poor?'  is  well  worth  spending  a  few  minutes 
upon  to  realize." 

"John,  it  is  in  feeling,  not  in  name  nor  even  in 
fact,  that  everything  comes  home  to  us.  Oppression 
is  oppression  to  us  as  felt  by  the  indignities  heaped 
upon  us  and  the  harshness  visited.  With  the  setting 
down  and  the  cruelty  of  the  lash  we  feel  it,  we  really 
know  what  it  is  'on  our  side  of  the  house/  as  the 
saying  goes.  The  love  of  Christ  only  comes  to  be  real 
to  us  by  its  inflow  to  our  feeling.  We  hear  about  it 
and  know  of  it;  we  believe  it,  and  faith  becomes  to 
us  cause  of  feeling,  constraint  of  reciprocity,  like 
return  is  excited  within  us.  But,  how  do  we  become 
poor  ? — it  is  a  question  that  should  have  our  thought 
before  the  one  proposed,  'How  does  it  feel  to  be 
poor?'  " 

"Yes,  how  do  we,  Dad;  how  do  we  become  poor?" 

"John,  poverty  is  lack.  It  is  deficiency,  instead 
of  sufficiency.  The  worst  poverty  of  all  is  to  be  with- 
out God:  His  realized  presence  and  fellowship;  His 
righteousness,  peace  and  love.  O  there  are  millions 
such!  And  without  Christ — His  knowledge,  good- 
ness, power.  It  is  not,  however,  of  this  spiritual 
poverty  I  here  speak ;  but  of  those  natural  comforts 
and  human  fellowships  that  are  necessary  for  our 
visible  and  invisible  being,  in  our  pilgrim-life 
through  the  world,  while  we  live  in  the  flesh.  And 
how  do  we  become  poor — lacking  these  things  ?" 

"Dad,  I  think  we  should  recognize  that  poverty 
has  its  grades  or  gradations,  from  barely  enough  to 
free  us  from  want  to  very  poor,  in  which  we  lack 
nearly  every  comfort  and  have  not  supply  of  the 
necessaries  which  men  regard  as  essential  for  nutri- 
ment to  keep  us  alive.  And  then  down  from  that  to 
utter  destitution — nothing  at  all.  These  steps  of 


274  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

poverty  are  each  real  in  life — poor,  very  poor,  com- 
pletely poor." 

"It  is  so,  John,  and  millions  are  getting  lower 
daily  to  the  completely  poor,  the  utterly  destitute 
state.  The  race  goes  down,  down,  down!  We  all 
know  the  next  step  is  death.  And  unobserved,  with- 
out noise,  starvation  comes  to  tens  of  thousands.  The 
doctor  comes;  examination  is  made;  the  cause  of 
death  is  recorded,  'Died  of  in-nutrition*  or  'under- 
nutrition' — which,  in  one  word,  is  starvation, 
poverty.  Is  it  not  awful  to  think  of  persons  dying 
among  us  for  lack  of  something  to  eat — something 
to  eat,  when  the  counters  and  shelves  and  benches 
of  our  stores  are  loaded  with  provisions !  What  is 
the  great  gulf  between  those  provisions  and  the 
pinched  belly  that  craves  them?  A  little  money  to 
buy  them;  and  that  little  impossible  to  obtain,  be- 
cause men  are  unbrotherly,  do  not  live  according 
to  the  beautiful  Christian  system  of  mutual  sus- 
tenance, that,  I  thank  God,  I  have  the  pleasure  and 
honor  to  show  my  fellow-men." 

"I  wish  indeed,  dear  Dad,  that  you  may  be  able 
to  button-hole  the  eager  man  dead  on  'business/  and 
stop  him  long  enough  to  make  him  feel  that  poverty, 
so  dreadful  to  the  needy,  does  not  abide  with  us  of 
necessity;  but  that,  if  willing,  we  can  say  to  it  as 
Jesus  did  to  Satan,  'Get  behind !'  and  it  will  be  com- 
pelled to  go  to  the  rear." 

"Now,  John,  as  to  where  poverty  comes  from,  or 
how  it  is  that  men  are  poor,  several  answers  can  be 
given,  all  true.  There  are  answers,  if  I  may  be 
allowed  so  to  speak,  from  the  Divine  standpoint  and 
from  the  human.  The  God-book  tells  us,  sometimes 
it  is  sent  for  purposes  that  are  God's  own;  let  me 
turn  it  around  and  say,  purposes  of  the  Almighty. 
Do  not  think  I  am  talking  what  some  men  call 
'theological  fiction/  We  have  an  example  of  what 


How  it  Feels  to  be  Poor  275 

I  mean  in  the  case  of  Job.  God  had  purposes  of 
double  blessing  for  Job.  He  delivered  his  servant 
into  Satan's  hands  not  for  the  destruction  of  his 
life,  but  for  stripping  of  things  earthly  that  a  basis 
might  be  laid  for  greater  reward  because  of  fidelity 
to  Him  in  trial.  And  the  rich  Job  became  a  very 
poor  man.  Yet,  for  all  that  came  to  him  of  disaster, 
'he  sinned  not,  nor  cursed  God  foolishly;'  i.e.,  as  a 
fool  would.  Out  of  such  poverty  the  Lord  delivers 
in  due  time,  and  adds  blessing  for  steadfast  ad- 
herence. 'So  God  blessed  the  end  of  Job  more  than 
the  beginning.'  In  like  manner,  He  appoints  to  His 
people  at  times  spoiling  of  their  goods,  in  test  of 
their  sincerity  and  faithfulness,  always  to  recom- 
pense it  at  a  later  date,  in  such  measure  that  he  who 
loses  his  short  and  vexed  life  upon  earth  shall  find 
it  to  everlasting  being  in  a  sorrowless  era  in  the 
presence  and  company  of  Him  for  whose  sake  he 
hungered  and  died.  Another  way  by  which  poverty 
comes,  as  an  act  of  God,  is  by  discipline  for  sins 
committed,  and  sometimes  that  will  only  be  forsaken 
when  God  mercifully  refts  from  us  the  god  of  gold 
we  make  our  confidence,  in  place  of  Himself.  It  is 
the  story  of  a  disobedient,  naughty  child  with  a 
faithful  Father  using  the  rod — that  he  may  not  later 
use  the  bar  of  iron  with  which  He  will  destroy  the 
wicked.  And  for  this  chastening,  although  it  may 
feel  grievous  as  the  blows  fall,  we  should  ever  pray 
with  Jeremiah,  that  we  may  not  go  on  without  in- 
dication of  our  Father's  disapproval  of  our  sins  and 
become  utterly  bad.  Recall  Jeremiah's  words:  '0 
Lord,  correct  me,  but  with  judgment;  not  in  Thine 
anger,  lest  Thou  bring  me  to  nothing.'  In  temporal 
punishment  God  sometimes  cuts  off  the  crop,  makes 
the  harvest  fail,  minishes  a  man  so  that  he  is 
brought  low;  he  is  pinched  with  want,  the  drought 
comes  in  every  direction.  But,  'Why  should  a  living 


276  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

man  complain,  a  man  for  the  punishment  of  his 
sins?'  It  is  well  when  we  are  reduced  so  as  to  be 
in  want  to  search  our  hearts  and  ways  and  see  if 
there  is  any  evil  in  us,  and  put  it  away,  that  God 
may  return  to  us  again  in  favor  and  blessing.  We 
are  commanded  through  Micah,  'Hear  ye  the  rod, 
and  Who  hath  appointed  it.'  The  'rod'  has  a  voice; 
it  speaks  to  us  saying,  Turn  ye  every  one  from  his 
evil  way/  and  it  promises,  if  we  will  heed  the  voice 
of  discipline,  God  will  return  to  us  in  blessing. 
Blessings  shall  come  down  in  showers  upon  the 
parched  land ;  the  earth  shall  give  her  increase.  The 
rod  that  meant  to  us  deprivation  of  bread  and  water 
(what  things  are  considered  necessaries  of  life)  shall 
be  put  away,  and  supply  shall  return  with  the  return 
of  sunshine  through  the  clouds  that  overshadowed 
our  life." 

"Dear  Dad,  thank  you  for  showing  me  that  failure 
of  earthly  things,  visitation  with  scarcity,  is  some- 
times an  act  of  God  for  benevolent,  saving  ends — to 
unclasp  our  arms  from  sinful  embrace  and  to  load 
us  with  a  double  blessing,  if  we  will  be  exercised 
with  His  faithful  dealings,  turning  at  His  reproof." 

"There  is  much  in  God's  dealings  with  us,  John,  if 
we  will  apply  our  hearts  to  wisdom ;  that  is,  to  under- 
stand His  actions  toward  us ;  but  I  feel  I  ought  now 
to  speak  of  poverty — how  we  become  poor — in  re- 
lation to  men.  It  is  bitterness  of  wormwood  and 
gall  that  men,  our  brothers,  can  do  anything  to 
plunge  us  into  the  misery  of  poverty.  There  is  no 
good  end  in  their  act,  as  in  God's,  to  inflict  a  slight 
punishment  to  make  us  better;  to  let  us  give  up  a 
little  for  Him  that  he  may  sevenfold  repay  us  for 
our  proven  love.  Their  injury  is  altogether  injury; 
they  never  heal  it;  there  is  no  compensating  bless- 
ing. How  then  do  we  become  poor  from  men's 
actions?  (I  will  not,  however,  lay  all  the  blame 


How  it  Feels  to  be  Poor  277 

upon  others;  for  our  poverty  sometimes  is  self- 
caused.)  We  will  look  at  that  first." 

"Dear  Dad,  this  talk  of  yours  is  very  instructive 
to  me ;  and  I  trust  it  will  be  useful  in  coming  days." 

"Now,  John,  as  I  said,  some  persons'  poverty  is 
not  attributable  to  others :  they  are  the  cause  of  their 
own  want.  Idleness  is  one  cause  of  being  without. 
He  who  is  unwilling  to  produce  cannot  have.  If 
our  poverty  is  from  indisposition  to  work  and  lazy 
lounging,  we  deserve  to  be  poor,  even  to  death!  That 
is  very  strong,  is  it  not?  But  if  it  is  God's  law  that 
he  who  will  not  work  shall  not  eat,  then  he  who 
persists  in  not  working  shall  be  punished,  and  if  he 
still  persists  shall  be  allowed  to  take  the  full  con- 
sequence— that,  is,  be  let  die.  Another  reason  of 
poverty  is  wastefulness.  A  man  who  has  a  living 
and  throws  it  away  as  a  spendthrift,  say  in  high  and 
riotous  living,  deserves  to  be,  and  will  surely  become, 
poor.  Dollars  soon  fly  with  such  a  madman.  The 
same  will  apply  to  gambling.  The  bettor  upon  the 
races,  and  upon  anything  under  the  sun,  will  at 
length  become  a  beggar  for  a  ten-cent  meal.  The 
imprudent  man,  also,  is  frequently  the  author  of  his 
own  poverty.  He  is  a  foolish  man  who  cultivates 
a  rock;  so  is  he  who  starts  a  business  where  there 
is  no  one  who  needs  his  goods,  or  who  hopes  to  live 
on  profit  from  articles  which  nobody  requires.  There 
are  many  phases  of  imprudence.  And  last  there  is 
speculation;  but  that  is  a  matter  to  be  considered 
carefully,  for  some  transactions  that  are  called 
speculative  are  really  not  intrinsically  speculative 
as  dealings  in  margins,  but  only  incidentally  so,  and 
are  such  speculation  as  is  practiced  in  straight  busi- 
ness, ordinary  buying  and  selling/ 

"Dear  Dad,  it  must  be  conceded  that  poor  judg- 
ment in  some  cases  results  disastrously  to  loss  of 


278  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

all;  and  that  imprudence  will  bring  one  down  as 
much  as  dissipation  and  waste." 

"Yes,  John,  we  make  ourselves  poor,  and  sad 
therefor,  by  our  own  acts.  But  I  want  to  say  again, 
that  many  men  are  blamed  for  speculation  and  their 
difficulties  are  ascribed  thereto  when  they  have  only 
taken  the  course  by  which  others  succeed.  As  a 
man  once  said  to  me,  in  a  very  real  sense  all  busi- 
ness— business  of  the  present  unjust  system,  but  not 
of  the  good  one  that  I  propose — is  speculative.  A 
manufacturer  makes  a  lot  of  goods,  say  shoes,  to  sell. 
He,  so  to  speak,  takes  chances  on  disposing  of  them 
while  they  are  fresh  and  in  style.  In  a  sense  that 
is  speculation.  A  drygoodsman  fills  up  his  store 
with  stock  of  his  line  to  sell — if  he  can.  There  is 
a  risk.  That  risk  is  of  the  nature  of  speculation. 
John,  I  deem  this  speculative  element  in  business 
vicious ;  in  the  new  System  of  Christian  living  noth- 
ing is  made  'on  spec.'  Needs  are  supplied — abun- 
dantly; whatever  is  over  is  help  of  or  supply  of 
outsiders  who  lack.  Nobody  has  visions  of  failure 
or  becomes  bankrupt  by  this  excellent  way.  Now  if 
a  man  starts  and  endeavors  to  carry  on  in  the 
present  state  a  business  that  is  good,  manufacturing 
and  selling  things  that  men  need,  and  cannot  sell 
them,  and  comes  to  ruin,  it  is  not  fair  to  say  that 
he  failed  through  speculation." 

"Dad,  I  agree  with  you,  justice  is  not  done  him 
by  calling  him  a  speculator." 

"But,  John,  poverty  comes  from  another  quarter, 
and  this  source  of  destitution  is  the  most  prolific  and 
terrible  of  all — 0  it  is  appalling! — man's  wicked 
propensity  to  defraud  his  brother  that  he  may  have 
an  overabundance  himself,  and  the  system  of  in- 
equality of  opportunities,  indeed  cutting  off  oppor- 
tunity altogether  from  many  to  work  the  soil  that 
yields  the  corn  that  sustains  life.  Pacing  to  and  fro 


How  it  Feels  to  be  Poor  279 

like  a  soldier,  gun  in  hand,  to  keep  off  trespassers, 
even  to  shooting  them!  Is  not  that  dreadful?  In- 
accessibility to  the  land ;  lack  of  tools ;  want  of  seed 
to  plant;  no  money  for  a  business  capital — no 
brother-man's  assistance  in  these.  He  will  monopol- 
ize them  all  for  himself — in  selfishness;  and  the 
other  fellow  is  overboard.  Behold  the  wickedly- 
caused  poverty!  Then  chance  of  work  is  unequal. 
Those  who  control  civil  offices  have  relatives  to  care 
for,  partisans  to  remember,  pledges  to  pay,  friends 
to  think  of;  so  that,  even  if  there  is  not  averseness 
and  revenge  in  the  heart  of  a  controller  of  patronage 
toward  a  fellow-citizen,  he  has  ahead  more  than  he 
can  provide  for  whom  he  speaks  of  as  having  first 
claim  upon  him.  Then,  lastly,  there  is  the  down- 
right robbery,  the  violent  seizing  and  taking  from 
men  that  which  is  theirs  for  an  obligation  that  can- 
not be  met  for  insuperable  reasons.  All  result  in 
dreadful  poverty.  Ah  me !  don't  I  know  what  it  is  ? 
Have  not  I  felt  the  teeth  of  the  two-legged  wild 
beasts  of  earth!  John,  the  howling  of  the  wolves 
ceases  not  day  nor  night.  To  gain  by  another's  loss 
is  intrinsically  evil.  That  gain  to  the  loser  is  poverty. 
0  for  the  Christian  way — each  adding,  nobody  sub- 
tracting; and  all  drawing  out  of  the  total  wealth  as 
they  have  need.  Avaunt  Poverty !  As  the  Israelites 
saw  the  faces  of  the  Egyptians  no  more  forever,  we 
say  to  you  the  final  word  of  eternal  separation!  I 
have  told  you  the  whence  of  poverty,  now  let  us  know 
how  it  feels  to  be  in  the  state  itself.  I  select  a  few 
cases." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  know  before  you  tell  me  your  expe- 
riences and  those  reported  to  you  by  others,  that 
poverty  is  not  good  to  feeling.  It  is  not  good  in  fact ; 
and  hence  its  sensations  are  not  good.  Neither  to 
mind  nor  body  does  it  give  satisfaction,  saying  noth- 
ing of  delight.  Being  emptiness  it  cannot  supply 


280  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

fulness.  0  how  distressful  all  round  is  poverty." 
"John,  you  don't  know  it  really,  and  I  cannot  tell 
it  you — all,  I  mean.  The  worst  I  must  veil.  There 
are  things  too  heartrending  to  speak  of;  delicate 
things  that  for  decency  must  be  covered.  But  some 
things  can  be  narrated.  I  will  tell  you  one,  about  a 
poor  debtor  whom  I  have  known  for  many  years. 
This  brother  had  a  'bunch'  of  houses  erected  for 
him.  The  builder,  to  get  the  job,  volunteered  to 
finance  it — provide  the  money.  It  was  naturally  ex- 
pected that  he  would  do  it  in  an  ordinary,  fair  and 
safe  way.  But  this  is  what  he  did.  First,  he  secured 
a  building  loan  of  $9,500,  repayable  in  six  months. 
Then,  to  clear  this  amount,  he  borrowed  $10,000  for 
a  half  term  (18  months).  As  the  time  of  the  loan 
was  so  short,  to  secure  re-payment  of  $1600,  money 
advanced  by  him  to  clear  the  lots,  a  Trust  Deed  was 
drawn,  with  all  the  provisions  of  that  wicked  devil's 
instrument  (do  you  know,  John,  the  iniquity  of  a 
Trust  Deed?)  It  called  for  $100  a  month  and  inter- 
est ;  which,  with  all  the  other  imposed  and  incidental 
obligations,  made  too  great  a  load  to  be  carried.  It 
was  so  stated  at  the  time  of  signing  the  note;  but 
representations  were  made  of  the  prospect  of  income 
from  the  houses  that  would  be  sufficient  to  take  care 
of  the  payments  and  promise  given  of  assistance  in 
case  of  shortage,  and  the  note  ('Writ  of  Execution,' 
as  it  later  proved)  was  accepted.  Then  the  contrac- 
tor, having  made  himself  safe,  went  to  a  company 
with  whom  he  had  dealings  and  transferred  the  note 
to  them  to  be  credited  on  account  of  his  liabilities. 
The  brother  thus  found  himself  put  in  relation  with 
strangers,  whose  hearts  were  hard  and  who  spared 
not  to  gather  in  his  all.  It  was  impossible  to  pay  so 
much,  as  many  initial  expenses  had  to  be  met  and 
letting  of  the  bungalows  was  but  gradual.  Still, 
every  month  as  instalments  became  due  good  faith 


How  it  Feels  to  be  Poor  281 

of  intention  was  shown,  a  payment  of  some  amount 
being  made.  In  a  few  months  $125  of  the  principal 
was  paid;  the  interest  was  kept  up;  and  a  balance 
remained  of  but  $1474  and  odd  cents.  The  hard- 
hearted company  was  not  satisfied  with  a  man  doing 
his  best,  but  pressed  for  payment  of  the  arrears. 
The  property  was  foreclosed.  This  is  how  it  stands 
to-day:  the  poor  man  has  lost  all — his  thousands  of 
dollars  of  equity  and  his  living !  And  the  company 
has  sold  or  exchanged  the  realty  property  to  some- 
body, according  to  information,  having  netted  a 
realty  profit  value  of  thousands  of  dollars  in  the  ex- 
change! The  houses  are  all  let  (so  I  was  told  when 
last  I  inquired)  and  should  be  yielding  between  $250 
and  $300  a  month.  It  was  all  selfishness,  merciless- 
ness,  villainy." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  a  very,  very  hard  deal  for  the 
poor  fellow  who  owned  the  place.  The  builder  is 
verily  culpable  for  his  dangerous  financing  and  his 
excessive  interest,  and  then  turning  the  one  he  had 
financially  imperiled  over  into  the  hands  of  an  unin- 
terested party ;  and  the  company  is  to  blame  for  seiz- 
ing the  property  of  one  proving  himself  so  worthy 
of  consideration  and  help  by  his  tireless  efforts  to 
meet  his  obligation." 

"But  now,  John,  here  is  an  episode  of  this  wretched 
'business/  The  brother  had  been  notified  that  the 
credit-man  of  the  concern  wished  to  have  a  personal 
interview  with  him,  and  called  accordingly  at  his 
place  of  business.  He  was  engaged  when  the  brother 
called.  Presently  being  free,  the  brother  drew  up  to 
his  desk,  and  the  following  colloquy  took  place : 

"Mr. ?" 

Slight  nod. 

"I  am  Mr. .  I  have  come  to  see  you  about 

the  arrears  due  on ," 

"Not  a  word  of  respectful  recognition  had  passed ; 


282  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

nor  a  proffered  hand.  Not  a  'Good  morning/  nor  a 
'Glad  to  see  you /  nor  a  'How  are  you  ?'  Not,  indeed, 
anything  that  is  usual  among  men,  gentlemen,  who 
have  transactions  together.  Only  a  steely-eyed  look ! 
Then  suddenly,  with  rapier-like  thrust,  'Well,  when 
are  you  going  to  pay?' ' 

"That  is  what  I  came  to  talk  to  you  about." 

"Now,  as  hard  as  flint,  'But  when  are  you  going 
to  pay?'  emphasis  on  'are/  " 

"  'I  have  been  doing  the  best  I  could/  began  the 
brother  in  reply,  ready  to  explain  matters." 

"But  he  was  cut  short  with :    7  don't  believe  you!' 

"And  it  was  shot  back  to  him :  'Sir,  I  resent  your 
imputation  that  I  am  a  liar.  I  am  an  honorable  man 
and  a  Christian,  and  am  not  given  to  lying.  I  repeat, 
I  have  done  the  best  I  could/  " 

"No  apology  was  offered;  but  there  came  instead 
the  proposal:  'Shall  we  put  a  man  in  to  take  the 
rents?'" 

"  'Certainly  not/  was  replied,  'I  am  not  a  rascal, 
trying  to  cheat  you,  but  a  business  man,  with  a  good 
record  for  honesty.  I  strongly  object  to  a  sheriff 
being  put  in  charge  of  the  place.  Besides,  I  know 
my  wife  would  feel  it — feel  it  keenly,  as  I  also  should 
do." 

"Then,  throwing  himself  back  in  his  chair  and  put- 
ting his  thumbs  under  his  vest  at  his  arm-pits,  he 
jeeringly  cried:  'Feel  it;  feel  it!' — with  a  snicker 
and  expression  on  his  face  like  that  of  a  devil — 'why 
should  you  feel  it?'  He  could  not  understand,  he  had 
not  even  the  idea,  that  a  man  should  or  could  feel 
such  treatment.  How  did  it  feel  then  to  be  poor ;  and 
because  poor  exposed  to  the  cruel  assaults  of  this 
gutter-mud  creature?  Imagine  it!" 

"Then  he  laid  down  the  law :  'If  you  want  us  to 
consider  the  matter  you  will  have  to  furnish  me  a 
list  of  all  the  properties  you  own ;  how  much  incum- 


How  it  Feels  to  Be  Poor  283 

brance  there  is  on  each  piece;  the  rate  of  interest. 
A  list  also  of  the  houses ;  what  they  rent  for ;  which 
are  vacant;  and  when  you  think  you  will  be  able  to 
let  them/  " 

"The  brother  said,  'No !  You  have  sufficient  secu- 
rity in  the  property  on  which  you  have  a  lien.  (It 
was  several  times  the  amount  of  their  claim.)  I  am 
not  asking  you  for  a  loan.  You  are  amply  secured 
already/  The  interview  ended:  it  was  frightful 
while  it  lasted.  The  brother  says  he  is  the  worst 
man,  the  most  inhuman  he  has  encountered  in  his 
lifetime.  And,  John,  was  he  not  a  very  bad  man  to 
jeer  at  another  in  his  helplessness  and  scorn  his 
natural  feeling?  This  is  one  case  of  how  it  feels  to 
be  poor — a  poor  debtor." 

"Dear  Dad,  it  was  most  brutal.  Among  men 
who  have  business  together  civility  at  least  is  due. 
This  man's  conduct  was  monumentally  outrageous. 
Feeling,  through  being  poor,  must  have  been  acute." 

"John,  I  could  tell  you  cases  of  poverty  where  men 
have  verged  on  insanity  through  wrongs  done  them 
which  made  them  poor.  An  old  man,  in  his  seven- 
tieth year,  who  had  been  robbed  of  his  lot  and  house 
said  he  felt  like  taking  a  pistol  and  shooting  the 
party  who  had  made  him  and  his  wife  paupers — pen- 
niless in  the  world.  Another  nearly  lost  his  wife  and 
family  because  he  was  unable  to  get  employment  to 
earn  money  to  keep  them.  (They  loved  each  other 
dearly.)  Something  had  to  be  done ;  the  family  could 
not  starve.  A  rancher  gave  the  woman  employment 
as  housekeeper,  and  let  the  children  come  with  her 
for  any  chores  they  could  do.  He  offered  her,  if  she 
would  not  write  to  her  husband  for  twelve  months, 
the  statutory  time  to  get  a  divorce,  he  would  marry 
her.  So  desperate  were  their  circumstances  that 
husband  and  wife  entered  into  a  compact  to  break  off 
correspondence.  The  man's  anguish  was  unutter- 


284  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

able — to  think  that  for  lack  of  a  little  money  he  must 
lose  his  wife  and  children.  A  month  or  two  went  by. 
But  the  wife  could  not  stand  it;  she  could  not  for- 
sake a  husband  always  good  to  her.  Finally  they 
were  restored  to  one  another;  but  they  were  almost 
parted.  O  how  many  are  the  victims  of  poverty. 
And  it  hurts — believe  me,  it  hurts!" 

"Dear  Dad,  I  am  sure  it  must.  But  people  who 
have  regular  and  sufficient  salaries,  and  stockholders 
who  receive  dividends,  know  not  what  it  is  and  have 
small  feeling  for  the  sufferers." 

"I  must  tell  you  one  more  case  where  poverty 
would  have  hurt,  only  that  the  abused  one  did  not 
let  it,  because  the  thing  charged  was  not  true.  I 
knew  a  brother  who  occasionally  gave  another  a  lit- 
tle help — nearly  always  to  his  profit,  by  way  of  in- 
terest. But  there  was  sensed  reluctance  in  his  help, 
and 'that  made  it  very  hard  to  accept;  still  in  severe 
pressure  one  has  to  ignore  this.  The  brother  used 
to  rub  it  into  the  one  he  assisted,  and  in  so  doing  I 
believe  he  really  thought  he  was  acting  the  faithful 
part,  and  possibly  that  he  was  doing  God  service. 
But,  as  was  told  him  once,  it  was  very  painful  to  a 
man  when  he  was  sore  from  evil,  and  the  skin  was 
as  it  were  broken,  to  have  so  much  salt  rubbed  into 
him,  making  the  smart  greater.  According  to  this 
friend  (?)  the  man  he  assisted  must  have  gone 
astray  or  he  would  not  be  afflicted.  He  was  one  of 
Job's  comforters — or  rather  a  'successor*  of  their 
kind.  God  testified  of  Job  that  he  was  'a  perfect  and 
an  upright  man/  one  who  'escheweth  eviP  and 
'holdeth  fast  his  integrity;'  but  his  'friends'  (?) 
said  to  him:  'Who  ever  perished,  being  innocent? 
or  where  were  the  righteous  cut  off?  .  .  They  that 
plow  iniquity  and  sow  wickedness  reap  the  same/ 
Well,  this  man  frequently  told  his  brother  he  was 
'out  of  God's  order/  and  many  other  bad  things, 


How  it  Feels  to  Be  Poor  285 

until  he  got  tired  of  hearing  what  a  bad  man  he  was 
because  he  was  poor.  John,  there  should  be  no 
spirit  of  self -justification  when  one  does  wrong;  and 
personally  I  am  willing  to  own  up.  And  indeed  I 
feel  very  penitent  and  ashamed  if  I  find  myself  a 
transgressor.  And  I  will  not  conceal  it  either  from 
myself  or  the  world,  that  I  have  only  ever  been  able 
to  find  rest  in  God's  compassion  and  forgiveness  in 
Christ.  I  have  walked  in  ways  not  right.  But  when 
I  have  really  repented  and  am  really  doing  different 
things,  I  cannot  feel  that  I  am  sinning.  Well,  this 
brother  was  inclined  one  day  to  lend  his  friend  a 
little  assistance  to  save  a  note  that  had  been  put  up 
as  security  to  aid  a  poor  man — to  buy  transportation 
for  himself  and  family  to  where  there  was  work. 
He  said  he  would  think  and  pray  about  it  and  ap- 
pointed a  meeting  the  next  day.  They  met.  He  had 
news  for  the  needy  one.  He  said  God  had  shown  him 
he  was  not  to  help  him !  The  brother  told  him  to  his 
face  it  was  not  true;  that  God  had  nothing  to  do  with 
it;  but  that  it  was  his  own  unwillingness  of  his 
personal  unbrotherly  heart.  There  were  the  com- 
mandments to  love  and  help  one  another;  and  no 
extra  special  revelation  was  needed,  or  should  be 
asked.  John,  obedience  to  Christ's  commandments 
is  the  called-for  thing  in  us." 

"Dear  Dad,  recently  a  Christian  brother  wrote  to 
another,  'I  believe  you  are  a  sincere  Christian 
brother;  but — :'  it  does  hurt  the  weak  (the  strong 
do  not  mind  it)  when  they  are  in  poverty  to  have 
brethren  say,  'Your  poverty  is  a  sign  of  sin/  Cer- 
tainly it  could  be;  but  to  assume  that  it  is,  without 
the  condemnation  of  one's  own  heart,  is  anything 
but  comfort — it  is  sheer  cruelty." 

"John,  it  hurts  to  be  poor.  If  it  were  for  Christ's 
or  the  Gospel's  sake  it  would  be  welcome  suffering; 
but  when  it  is  simply  men's  vileness  that  brings  on 


286  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

mischief  it  is  different:  we  all  feel  injured,  even 
though  we  may  not  retaliate.  How  does  it  feel  to 
be  poor?  Poor  and  unable  to  buy  shoes,  when  the 
last  sole  has  a  hole  in  it  and  one  has  to  cut  out  card- 
board for  inner  soles  to  keep  his  feet  from  the 
ground!  Poor,  and  pass  by  a  restaurant  and  smell 
the  meat  and  say,  'Great!'  and  not  have  a  nickel  to 
buy  even  coffee  and  bread,  but  must  continue  on  to 
Central  Park  and  fill  up  on  water,  with  the  thought, 
Water  is  good/  Poor,  and  rarely  ever  to  have  new 
garments,  but  always  be  clad  in  second-hand  and 
worn  coverings!  Poor,  and  seeing  the  stores  filled 
with  wearables  and  edibles,  say  to  self,  'Not  for  me !' 
Poor,  with  wife  arid  children  thinly  clad  and  no 
spending  money  in  one's  pockets  to  give  them  a  taste 
of  the  good  things  of  life!  'Give  me  not  poverty' — 
it  is  an  old  prayer :  I  revive  it." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  fancy  I  hear  you  say,  'The  Com- 
munity for  the  abolition  of  poverty !  No  more  poor ! 
No  more  poverty!  Let  judgment  upon  poverty  be- 
gin first  at  the  house  of  God !'  " 


CHAPTER  XX. 
A  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund 


"BEARING  down  upon  me  with  as  great  pressure 
as  the  thought  that  some  other  system  of  living  than 
that  of  to-day  must  be  found  to  ensure  to  all  an 
existence  of  comfort  and  joy,  is  the  fact  of  men's 
need  of  relief,  immediate  relief,  until  the  permanent 
and  blessed  condition  of  mutual  love  and  supply  can 
be  prepared  and  established  in  a  Community  of  good 
willers.  For  such  an  arrangement  is  not  the  work 
of  an  hour,  a  day,  or  a  month.  Meantime  the  woes  of 
humanity  do  not  cease.  The  arrogance,  thievery  and 
oppression  of  the  rich  and  strong  continue  in  full 
blast.  The  evil  economies  and  industrial  crimes  of 
the  time  grievously  affect  millions  who  suffer  there- 
from all  but  death;  and  who  come  at  last  to  choose 
even  that  as  the  least  of  evils.  Abandoning  hope, 
they  cry  to  the  Lethe  waters  of  oblivion  to  roll  over 
them  and  swallow  them  up!  Better,  they  say,  con- 
sciousness lost,  than  consciousness  which  is  nearly 
all  pain  and  dread.  John,  the  majority  of  mankind 
live  under  this  pressure  of  evil,  actual  or  threaten- 
ing. Something  must  be  done  for  them;  done  now. 
Let  us  not  say,  'It  has  been  thus  of  long  time ;  there 
is  no  need  of  rush ;  urgency  is  not  imperative/  True, 
it  has  been  of  long  duration — sin  and  shame  to  us 
that  it  has  not  been  tackled  before !  But  this,  instead 
of  being  excuse  for  further  delay  of  the  work,  is 


288  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

greater  reason  for  its  immediate  performance.  Tem- 
porary measures  of  relief  for  brethren  in  difficulties, 
want  and  menacing  ruin  must  be  provided." 

"Yes,  Dad,  must  be  prepared.  I  am  not  thinking 
of  must  as  logical  reasoning  or  conclusion;  but  of 
must  in  immediate  and  available  provision.  A  body 
of  fatherly  sympathizers  as  counsellors !  A  fund  of 
dollars  and  cents  proportionate  to  the  need !  So  that 
on  the  instant  advice  can  be  had  and  help  obtained. 
One  may  say,  'The  city  has  already  made  such  provi- 
sion through  its  Charity  Board/  It  has ;  but  not  in 
the  sense  nor  on  the  basis  of  Christian  love.  True 
sympathy  is  not  at  the  bottom;  nor  is  its  working 
fraternal  kindness.  It  is  better  than  nothing;  but 
there  is  something  much  better.  I  do  not  say  that 
all  its  activities  are  perfunctorily  performed.  There 
are  doubtless  many  really  sympathetic  paid  officers 
engaged  in  this  public  charity  business ;  but  there  is 
with  a  Christian  in  difficulties  a  craving  for  the  spir- 
itual element  that  should  accompany  material  relief, 
to  lessen  the  feeling  of  humiliation,  or  at  any  rate 
sorrow,  in  being  obliged  to  become  a  receiver  of 
unearned  value  from  others.  Besides,  with  this  pub- 
lic relief  there  is  the  feeling  that  one  has  sunken  to 
the  pauper  plane." 

"Dear  John,  a  city  owes  it  to  her  citizens  if  they 
are  in  need  to  provide  for  their  temporal  necessities. 
They  have  contributed  to  her  upbuilding  and  now 
she  should  give  to  them.  The  greatest  evil  of  the 
country  is  that  it  asks  all  of  its  citizens  and  gives 
them  nothing.  That  may  be  too  sweeping ;  it  may  be 
more  correct  to  say  gives  them  little.  It  expects  peo- 
ple to  be  patriotic  whom  it  does  not  befriend.  For 
what  does  a  poor  man  get  from  his  country?  Pro- 
tection in  his  rights?  No.  Redress  of  his  wrongs? 
No.  Attendance  when  he  is  sick?  No.  Provision 
for  his  old  age?  No.  Nearly  all  he  gets  is  laws  to 


A  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund       289 

restrain  him ;  fine  him ;  shoot  him  to  death !  It  piles 
upon  him  taxes  for  things  he  never  uses.  It  makes 
him  pay  for  benefits  for  the  rich.  Beautiful  parks 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  well-to-do — a  sort  of  pub- 
lic garden  for  their  dwellings ;  macadamized  country 
and  mountain  roads  over  which  to  drive  their  auto- 
mobiles, etc.,  etc.  This  is  all  of  benefit  chiefly  to 
the  rich  at  the  expense  of  the  poor,  to  whom  to  get 
a  crust  of  bread  becomes  increasingly  difficult.  If 
any  should  say,  'But  the  poor  have  the  chance  to  use 
them,  and  therefore  should  pay  for  the  improve- 
ments;' I  answer  with  an  incident  that  once  hap- 
pened in  England.  At  that  time  'Church  rates'  were 
levied  upon  the  people.  A  Nonconformist  had  to  pay 
equally  with  an  Episcopalian.  Not  to  pay  was  to 
have  your  goods  sold  at  auction.  One  day  a  tailor, 
who  was  a  Dissenter  from  the  Established  Church, 
made  strong  remonstrance  with  the  parish  priest. 
He  urged  that  he  never  used  the  church  and  should 
not  be  compelled  to  contribute  to  its  support.  The 
priest  replied,  That  is  not  my  fault,  but  your  own. 
The  church  is  open  to  you,  and  you  will  have  to  pay 
the  rate/  The  Dissenter  was  a  wise  old  fellow.  So 
he  presently  sat  down  and  made  out  a  bill  against  the 
clergyman  for  a  suit  of  clothes  and  mailed  it  to  him 
in  due  course.  Soon  His  Reverence  came  around 
in  great  dudgeon  and  demanded  to  know  what 
he  meant  by  sending  him  the  bill.  He  had  never 
ordered  a  suit  from  him.  The  injustice  and  inso- 
lence of  the  tradesman  in  sending  him  a  demand  for 
payment  for  what  he  never  ordered  nor  used !  The 
shrewd  tradesman  replied  that  he  was  a  tailor ;  that 
he  had  cloth  upon  his  shelves  to  make  the  dominie  a 
suit ;  that  it  was  not  his  fault  that  the  clergyman  did 
not  get  the  suit;  he  must  pay  the  bill.  The  poor 
man  would  be  glad  to  be  able  to  take  out  his  family 
in  an  auto ;  in  which  case  it  would  be  justice  and  he 


290  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

would  willingly  pay  his  share  for  making  the  road. 
But  auto ! — ha,  ha,  ha !  it  does  not  come  as  a  dream 
to  him  who  cannot  buy  sufficient  food.  But  I  must 
leave  this.  I  want  to  speak  to  you  about  provision 
for  the  immediate  help  of  men,  in  brotherly  love, 
who  may  become  necessitous  through  causes  as  vari- 
ous as  the  states  of  man's  existence." 

"I  realize,  dear  Dad,  the  cry,  the  wailing  cry  of 
men  of  family  and  the  single;  of  women,  matrons 
and  maids ;  of  youth  and  little  children,  who  by  ad- 
versity have  been  brought  into  the  torture-chamber 
of  Poverty,  and  there  are  racked  by  the  unscrupu- 
lous rich  despoiler,  who  is  the  high-priest  of  Misery. 
These  all  cry:  'Deliver  us!  Make  haste  to  our 
help !  Bring  us  out  of  this  dungeon !  Give  us  the 
sunlight  and  air  of  heaven !  Let  us  eat,  for  we  are 
hungry!'  Dad,  they  need  these  things,  need  them 
now:  now,  not  to-morrow.  We  should  make  instant 
preparation  for  their  relief.  It  is  as  obligatory  upon 
us  as  that  we  work  and  provide  for  ourselves." 

"It  is,  John ;  it  is.  I  get  so  much  good  out  of  the 
Bible.  Reading  it  with  sympathetic  heart  and  ob- 
serving closely  what  it  says,  praying,  too,  that  all  its 
wisdom  and  goodness  may  be  incorporated  into  my 
being,  I  am  wonderfully  instructed  and  blessed. 
Things  that  in  a  different  state  of  mind  I  would  pass 
over  become  to  me  very  important.  Thus  I  have 
noticed  particularly  how  Jesus  acted  in  circum- 
stances of  human  danger  and  need.  He  did  not 
philosophize.  He  did  not  say,  'Yes,  it  ought  to  be 
done/  or  'we  should  do  it.'  He  did  it.  He  did  it 
immediately.  He  did  it  without  fuss.  It  is  an  exam- 
ple for  us  to  do  likewise.  There  was  Peter,  who 
asked  Jesus  to  bid  him  come  to  Him  on  the  water. 
His  request  was  granted.  Peter  walked  a  few  steps. 
But,  'when  Peter  saw  the  wind  boisterous  he  was 
afraid;  and  beginning  to  sink,  he  cried,  saying, 


A  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund       291 

'Lord  save  me!'  He  was,  you  see,  'beginning  to 
sink ;'  like  so  many  poor  men  to-day ;  going  down  in 
the  sea  of  a  treacherous  commercialism !  And  what 
is  the  rest  of  the  record?  'And  immediately  Jesus 
stretched  forth  His  hand  and  caught  him/ ' 

"0,  Dad,  how  good  of  Him  to  be  so  prompt !  When 
a  man  begins  to  sink,  it  is  then  that  a  hand  becomes 
so  welcome — and  blessed !" 

"I  repeat,  John,  the  thing  that  is  needed  to  be  done 
to  relieve  others  should  be  done  now.  Jairus  had  an 
only  daughter  who  lay  dying.  Loving  her  greatly, 
he  asked  Jesus  to  come  to  his  house  and  heal  her. 
And  the  good  Master  started  at  once!  A  Centurion 
had  a  servant  who  suffered  from  the  palsy,  and  he, 
too,  desired  Jesus'  help.  The  Lord  replied,  (it  is 
just  like  His  great  love!)  'I  will  come  and  heal  him/ 
'Will  come*  is  indefinite  as  to  time.  The  man  added : 
'I  am  not  worthy,  Lord,  for  you  to  come  under  my 
roof:  only  speak  the  word  and  my  servant  will  be 
healed/  'Go  home/  the  Saviour  said,  'and  you  will 
find  him  well!'  That  is  not  only  service,  dear  John, 
but  immediate  service:  just  what  poor  men  need. 
Help,  help !  the  outstretched  arm,  to  save ;  the  minis- 
tering hand,  to  supply  want — now,  to-day!  How 
glad  was  he  who  said:  'I  am  poor  and  needy;'  that 
he  could  also  sing :  'God  is  our  refuge  and  strength ; 
a  very  present  help  in  trouble/  Let  us,  now  that 
need  is  with  us,  'straightway/  without  delay,  'arise 
and  go ;'  start,  commence  the  action  that  will  bring 
relief  and  joy  to  the  wretched!  Immediacy  is  the 
right  course!  Dare  we  delay?  To  defer  is  not  to 
follow  Christ." 

"What  do  you  suggest,  dear  Dad,  for  'the  present 
necessity?'  for,  as  I  understand  you,  it  is  only  provi- 
sional relief  of  distress  you  are  thinking  about,  re- 
garding fellowship  in  the  Community  as  the  real 
solution  of  economic  troubles." 


292  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"You  have  understood  me  rightly,  dear  John.  My 
thought  is  of  emergency  service;  the  true  aegis,  or 
shield  of  protection  from  poverty  being  the  hearts 
and  hands  of  believers  united  in  a  Christian  Com- 
munity. Now  I  propose  that  help  be  prepared  in 
every  city  in  the  shape  of  a  sufficient  fund  to  take 
care  of  all  possible  wants;  to  be  increased  at  any 
time  when  the  demand  shall  exceed  the  money  in 
the  treasury." 

"About  how  large  do  you  think,  dear  Dad,  that 
sum  should  be?" 

"To  be  amply  sufficient,  John,  for  a  city  of  the  size 
of  Los  Angeles,  I  would  suggest  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars; smaller  cities  would  not  need  nearly  so  much 
for  their  purpose." 

"And  how  do  you  think  it  might  be  raised,  Dad?" 

"Dear  John,  the  way  would  be  to  print  a  circular 
setting  forth  the  fact  that  Christians  through  ex- 
traordinary expenses  of  increase  of  family,  sickness, 
accidents,  death,  unemployment,  half-time  work,  as- 
sessments, taxes,  bad  debts  and  so  forth,  find  them- 
selves in  peril,  distress  and  straits;  that  they  need 
shoes,  clothing,  heaters,  etc.,  and  that  as  a  matter  of 
prudence  and  brotherly  love  there  be  subscribed  a 
Fund  of  Fifty  Thousand  Dollars,  which  fund  shall 
be  for  the  help  of  all  believers  in  Christ  and  instantly 
available  in  the  hour  of  adversity  and  need.  And  I 
would  have  a  volunteer  committee  appointed  (pay 
for  their  work  could  not  be  considered ;  the  only  paid 
servant  being  a  secretary,  whose  duties  would  be  to 
receive  applications  and  do  the  work  of  correspond- 
ence) ;  the  committee  to  be  notified  by  the  secretary 
of  applications  for  relief,  that  they  may  meet,  pass 
on  the  appeals  and  sign  the  checks  for  the  aid 
granted." 

"What  conditions,  dear  Dad,  would  you  require 


A  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund       293 

ordinarily  of  a  man  to  be  a  beneficiary ;  for  I  suppose 
you  have  some  definition  of  a  Christian?" 

"Certainly,  I  have.  He  must  be  a  confessor  of 
faith  in  the  living  God  and  in  Jesus  Christ  as  His 
Son  our  Saviour;  and  he  should  affirm  his  life  as  one 
of  obedience  to  our  Lord's  commandments.  I  think, 
too,  that  he  should  make  statement  that  he  holds 
love  of  the  brotherhood  and  of  all  men,  in  deed  and 
not  in  word  only,  as  essential  to  Christianity,  i.  e.t 
the  Christian  life." 

"Anything  more,  dear  Dad?    No  creed?" 

"No  human  formula  of  faith;  which  generally  is 
not  faith,  but  a  definition  by  a  compiler  of  Christian 
doctrine,  as  he  conceives  it,  upon  religious  subjects." 

"Would  you  listen  to  the  cry  of  a  poor  man  not  a 
Christian?" 

"Yes,  indeed ;  and  very  sympathetically.  But  the 
arrangement  I  propose  is  meant,  firstly,  to  be  a 
mutual  fellowship  of  believers.  This,  however,  is 
what  I  should  do  in  respect  of  any  poor  man:  he 
should  have  the  privilege  of  making  his  statement  to 
the  secretary,  whose  duty  it  should  be  to  put  the 
same  down  in  writing  and  have  the  applicant  sign 
it ;  when  the  case  shall  be  considered  right  off  as  any 
other  application.  And  if  the  committee  approves 
assistance,  help  should  be  given  him ;  with  especially 
gentle  words  of  fellow-feeling  and  exhortation  to  be- 
come a  disciple  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Maybe  he  may 
thus  be  won  to  Christ,  and  later  become  a  Com- 
munity brother." 

"How  could  the  fund  be  raised,  dear  Dad?" 

"All  who  love  the  Brotherhood  and  are  walking  in 
holiness  and  righteousness  before  God  should  be 
given  an  opportunity  to  contribute  toward  the  crea- 
tion of  this  fund  as  they  may  be  moved  by  God,  that 
is,  by  the  spirit  of  love  which  is  the  sign  of  His  in- 
dwelling, and  according  as  they  are  able ;  being  also 


294  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

told  that  it  will  be  for  their  own  benefit  if  they  ever 
require  assistance  or  relief.  Those  who  were  minded 
to  make  a  single  contribution  could  do  so ;  and  later 
add  to  it  at  their  pleasure.  Salaried  persons,  unable 
to  pay  down  such  amount  as  they  felt  they  would  like 
to  contribute,  could  pay  in  instalments,  on  account, 
till  the  sum  of  their  offering  was  reached.  Let  us 
say  one  brother  wished  to  have  fellowship  in  the 
amount  of  fifty  dollars,  payable  one  dollar  or  half  a 
dollar  a  week.  He  would  sign  a  purpose  blank;  but 
not  a  promise  (promissory  note),  collectable  at  law; 
for  a  man's  circumstances  might  change,  and  he  who 
thought  to  give  help  might  himself  need  help,  or  at 
any  rate  be  unable  to  do  more  than  keep  his  own. 
The  'purpose*  could  be  expressed  somewhat  as  fol- 
lows :  'God  enabling  me,  I,  John  Jones,  purpose  in 
my  heart,  in  love  to  Christ  and  for  the  help  of  the 
brethren  and  needy  men  generally,  to  give  fifty 
dollars  ($50.00)  to  a  fund  for  mutual  relief;  avail- 
able for  myself  also  if  need  should  require ;  which  I 
think  to  pay  in  installments  of  half  a  dollar  or  a 
dollar  a  week,  or  any  amount  at  any  time  that  I  can. 
It  is  understood  that  this  not  a  promise  but  a  pur- 
pose; which  I  pray  God  to  enable  me  to  carry  out. 
But  if  I  cannot,  it  is  agreed  that  I  shall  be  held  under 
no  obligation  to  any  person  or  society  in  regard  to 
the  same. 

Name 

Address 

Date 

"Would  you  donate  the  help  right  out  to  the  needy, 
dear  Dad?" 

"I  think,  John,  most  would  prefer  to  have  it  as  a 
loan,  of  course  without  interest;  for  they  would 
rather  pay  it  back  that  it  may  keep  circulating,  and 
be  in  turn  a  benefit  to  others  as  well  as  themselves. 


A  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund       295 

But  they  should  never  be  dunned  for  the  money ;  and 
if  unable  to  return  it  it  should  come  under  the  rule  of 
Christ,  'Do  good  and  lend  hoping  for  nothing  again* 
— neither  principal  nor  interest.  You  see  the  money 
is  to  help,  to  relieve  distress;  not  to  put  one  under 
another  grief.  Nor  should  a  single  loan  disqualify 
the  indigent  from  further  aid,  even  though  the  first 
amount  were  unpaid  (unreturned) .  The  hope  would 
be  that  a  Community  would  soon  be  established  and 
the  delinquent  brother  come  in  as  a  member — work- 
ing member,  and  end  poverty,  and  even  a  crisis  of 
want,  for  himself  and  his  family  forever." 

"The  fund  would  be  a  kind  of  Emergency  Fund, 
would  it  not,  Dad?" 

"That  is  just  what  it  would  be ;  and  I  suggest  that 
the  name  of  it  be  The  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund; 
and  that  all  moneys  received  be  banked  for  safe- 
keeping in  that  name,  with  the  Treasurer's  name 
added  thereto." 

"Would  you  have  a  paid  solicitor,  Dad,  to  collect 
contributions,  with  a  percentage  allowed  him  for  his 
services  ?" 

"0  no,  no,  John.  To  names  of  those  counted 
worthy  for  their  record's  sake  to  contribute,  a  pros- 
pectus would  be  sent  telling  about  the  Fund  and  its 
purpose.  No  urging  would  be  used.  It  would  be  de- 
sirable to  raise  the  money  wholly  among  the  faithful, 
who,  imbued  with  love,  would  present  it  as  a  free- 
will offering  to  Christ — a  kind  of  love-token  to  Him- 
self. The  money  should  not  be  such  as  was  gained 
by  exploitation  and  that  had  a  curse  resting  upon  it." 

"You  speak  of  this  Fund  as  an  Emergency  Fund : 
do  you  mind  explaining  a  little  more,  Dad  ?" 

"John,  I  mean,  it  is  a  fund  for  persons  in  an  emer- 
gency ;  not  for  one  to  draw  on  for  a  livelihood  or  for 
speculation.  The  livelihood  is  provided  for  in  the 
Community  relationship;  and  as  for  speculation — 


296  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

that  is  utterly  tabooed  and  will  die  of  non-necessity 
in  the  new  System  of  Christian  living  together.  Now 
I  suppose  you  know  what  emergency  means — say 
emergency  treatment  in  an  army,  by  way  of  exam- 
ple. A  wounded  soldier  is  brought  into  camp  in  an 
ambulance.  Something  must  be  done  for  him  right 
away.  He  cannot  be  sent  to  the  hospital  at  the  rear ; 
he  will  die  on  the  road.  So  he  must  receive  emer- 
gency treatment — 'first  aid*  it  is  called.  If  he  is  very 
badly  hurt  he  may  be  put  under  the  influence  of 
chloroform  to  make  him  insensible  to  the  pain  at- 
tending an  operation.  His  wounds  are  medically 
washed.  If  they  are  ragged  the  edges  are  trimmed  ; 
if  gangrenous,  they  may  be  cauterized.  Then  they 
are  tenderly  dressed  and  bound  up,  and  the  patient 
may  be  given  a  narcotic  to  induce  sleep.  If  bones 
are  broken  they  are  put  into  splints.  Emergency 
treatment  is  first,  simple  treatment;  the  patient 
being  passed  on  to  the  hospital  at  the  base  for  more 
thorough  and  constant  medical  and  surgical  treat- 
ment and  nursing  until  convalescence  returns  and 
the  man  is  well.  How  necessary  is  this  first  treat- 
ment ;  his  life  is  in  receiving  it.  A  brother  has  been 
run  down  by  an  automobile.  He  is  taken  to  the  city 
hospital,  where  he  is  treated  to  make  him  removable 
to  his  home  or  a  public  institution.  In  such  a  case 
The  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund  comes  in,  sees  that 
he  is  nursed  to  health,  his  family  being  meanwhile 
provided  for :  distress  is  taken  from  his  mind,  and  he 
feels  there  is,  after  all,  somewhere  those  who  care, 
really  care,  that  he  lives  and  is  in  ease  from  his  mis- 
fortune. 0  what  breasts  are  they  in  which  there 
throbs  real  brotherly  love!" 

"Dear  Dad,  the  man  who  is  'putting  up  a  fight'  to 
honestly  earn  his  living  by  hard  toil  is  not  much 
thought  of  among  men.  The  blind,  the  maimed,  the 
feeble,  the  insane,  those  who,  so  to  speak,  are  out  of 


A  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund       297 

the  battle,  have  consideration;  institutions  are 
founded  for  them;  but  he  who  above  all  others  de- 
serves loving  help,  the  able-bodied  man,  the  man 
upon  whose  skill  and  perseverance  others  live,  how 
sadly  is  he  neglected!  Little  sympathy  is  felt  for 
him  and  what  lack  of  assistance  when  he  is  in  a 
crisis!  The  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund  would  be 
hailed  by  him  as  a  life-boat  in  a  shipwreck !" 

"John,  many  a  man  has  become  shipwrecked  and 
made  a  derelict  all  his  life  because  no  help  was  given 
him  when  he  needed  it.  And  such  a  little  help  at  that 
particular  period  of  his  life  would  have  turned  the 
battle  in  his  favor  and  have  given  him  the  victory! 
0  how  great  is  the  need  for  a  Brotherly  Emergency 
Fund !  How  much  money  is  spent  on  service  of  lesser 
value — and  the  money  is  sunk  forever.  In  The 
Brotherly  Emergency  Fund,  as  the  loans  are  re- 
turned, the  money  goes  out  again  on  its  errand  of 
mercy.  And  again,  and  again,  and  again,  it  brings 
relief  and  joy  to  the  sufferer.  0  to  prepare  help  for 
our  brethren  and  for  all  as  we  are  able!  Speak  to 
some  and  they  say,  'I  will  think  about  it!'  Think 
about  it,  when  men  are  perishing!  No,  jump  over- 
board ye  swimmer,  and  save  him!  Save  him,  man; 
do  not  think  if  he  needs  a  saviour.  John,  that  is  how  I 
feel  to  speak  to  the  indifferent  who  see  men  in  their 
death  struggles — financial  relation  understood." 

"Dad,  I  feel  the  urgency  of  the  situation.  Urgency 
in  civil  life  takes  a  law  out  of  the  ordinary  and  puts 
it  into  force  within  a  day  or  two;  so  should  the 
urgency  of  men's  needs  provoke  to  immediate  forma- 
tion of  a  fellowship  to  help  those  in  trouble  now — 
and  I  offer  my  hand  to  every  one  as  a  partner  to  now 
go  into  the  work  of  fraternal  help  in  the  crises  of 
life — as  a  business,  a  something  to  be  followed  daily, 
every  day." 

"John,  I  would  repeat  the  objects :  First — preser- 


298  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

vation  of  life,  that  men  may  be  able  to  get  the  things 
they  must  have  to  live ;  Second — making  life  worth 
living,  that  is  joyous,  freeing  from  burden  and 
depression;  Third — helping  mien  to  usefulness,  in 
service  of  others.  These  are  worthy  our  concern, 
our  money  and  our  prayers." 

"It  is  a  great  chance,  Dad,  for  those  who  mean 
goodness.  There  are  talkers  and  meaners;  blessed 
are  they  who  are  forward  in  action." 

"John,  you  used  a  word  that  in  my  life  is  one  of 
the  greatest ;  it  is  the  word  'chance.'  Let  me  change 
it  to  'opportunity/  Without  opportunity  no  man 
could  be  or  do  anything.  The  circumstances,  condi- 
tions, means  of  our  life  are  our  opportunities — to  be 
or  not  to  be,  to  do  or  not  to  do.  We  cannot  be  schol- 
arly if  we  have  not  the  opportunity  of  schooling  or 
tuition ;  we  cannot  do  good  to  others  without  the  op- 
portunity. Our  opportunity  of  doing  good  to  an- 
other is  his  need.  If  he  lacked  nothing  there  would 
be  no  occasion  and  we  should  have  no  chance  to 
show  him  kindness — that  kindness  of  love  that  God 
works  in  the  hearts  of  the  regenerate.  Our  broth- 
er's need  is  our  opportunity  for  the  brotherly  act. 
Think  of  it !  a  chance  given  us  by  God  to  be  a  saviour 
and  a  factor  of  new  and  bright  things  in  another's 
existence.  A  covetous  man  contemplates  and  seeks 
opportunities  to  make  money;  a  Christian,  oppor- 
tunities to  be  a  blessing  to  sin-cursed  lives.  Which 
is  the  better?" 

"Why,  of  course,  Dad,  to  be  a  blesser  is  greater 
than  to  lay  up  treasures  for  one's-self  in  this  world. 
It  seems  horrible  to  me  that  a  man  should  go  smell- 
ing along  the  ground  all  his  life  in  scent  of  money — 
like  a  dog  seeking  a  bone.  It  is  'the  downward  look.' 
But  like  an  angel  is  he  whose  face  is  benignant  and 
who  goes  about  like  Jesus  doing  good !  And  it  is  said 
of  Him  that  His  life  was  seeking  cases — to  teach  and 


A  Brotherly  Emergency  Fund       299 

to  heal :  'the  Son  of  Man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save 
that  which  was  lost/  " 

"Well,  John,  here  in  The  Brotherly  Emergency 
Fund  is  an  opportunity  to  do  good  to  the  saints  and 
to  outsiders.  And  a  scripture  says,  'As  we  have 
therefore  opportunity  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men, 
especially  unto  them  that  are  of  the  household 
of  faith/  An  opportunity  to  do  good :  0  let  us  greet 
it  joyfully!  The  money-loving  man  does  not  want 
such  opportunity.  He  wants  men  to  give  to  him ;  not 
he  to  them.  A  poor  man  is  greeted  with  'Here  comes 
another  beggar!'  Sometimes  he  will  'hand  out/  as 
he  phrases  it ;  but  reluctance  is  in  his  heart.  He  does 
not  want  the  poor  to  come  to  him.  Unspeakable !" 

"Dad,  the  money-lover  makes  it  very  evident  by 
his  face  that  a  solicitor  of  a  helping  hand  is  not  an 
agreeable  visitor.  But  0  the  good  man!  he  avails 
himself,  with  thanksgivings  to  God,  of  chances  to 
help.  He  knows  that  opportunity,  with  ability  on  his 
part,  spells  duty;  and  with  generous  heart  he  opens 
wide  his  hand  for  his  poor  brother.  I  trust  there  are 
many  such  who  will  join  to  create  The  Brotherly 
Emergency  Fund;  for  it  is  real,  genuine  philan- 
thropy." 

"Ah!  and  one  thing  more,  John.  We  believe  in 
heaven.  Our  Father  lives  there — as  His  central 
place  of  abode.  Jesus  taught  the  Twelve  to  pray, 
saying,  'Our  Father,  which  art  in  heaven/  There  is 
such  a  thing,  according  to  our  Lord,  as  having  a 
bank  account  in  heaven.  I  hope,  John,  for  our  long, 
our  eternal  joy,  that  account  will  be  a  big  one.  I 
desire  very  much  to  have  great  treasure  there !  To 
do  so,  we  must  part  with  earthly  currency.  Or, 
rather,  buy  with  it  exchange,  that  we  may  be  rich 
eternally.  We  must  make  deposits.  We  cannot  have 
wealth  there  unless  we  make  payments  to  our  credit 
here.  The  receiving  tellers  in  this  suburban  world 


300  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

are  the  poor.  They  receive  for  headquarters.  We 
have  the  opportunity  now  in  The  Brotherly  Emer- 
gency Fund  to  add  to  our  account  where  moth  and 
rust  do  not  corrupt  and  where  thieves  do  not 
burglarize  and  steal.  I  give  God  thanks  for  the 
opportunities  granted  me  of  wealth  hereafter.  I  am 
resolved  to  put  in  all  I  am  and  all  I  have  to  be  rich  in 
the  land  of  eternal  life.' " 

"Dear  Dad,  it  is  a  wonderful,  a  transporting 
thought !  Such  things  were  not  present  to  my  mind 
when  I  was  greedy  with  the  greedy.  If  I  could  be  a 
profiter  by  others  it  was  all  right,  very  pleasing;  to 
profit  others  and  give  myself  and  my  all  to  do  it  is,  as 
I  have  found,  the  new  life  in  Christ.  And  oh  to 
think  that  every  act  that  we  do  goes  to  swell  for  us 
eternal  riches  of  which  we  have  heard  but  which  are 
beyond  our  present  understanding.  I  shall  increase 
my  deposits  with  the  poor — God's  receiving  tellers, 
in  number  and  in  amount.  And  then  as  to  the  'sweet 
by-and-by,'  to  those  who  ask  me  the  conditions  and 
employment  of  the  benevolent  ransomed  host,  I  shall 
reply,  'Friend,  brother!  let  us  go  there  and  see!'  I 
pray  that  every  one  who  talks  kindness  will  give 
proof  of  his  love  by  having  partnership  in  The  Broth- 
erly Emergency  Fund." 


CHAPTER  XXL 
The  Conversion  of  the  Exploiter 


"AN  exploiter  is  worth  saving,  whether  he  be  a 
hypocritical  churchman  or  a  Lothario  without  dis- 
guise. Surely,  not  for  what  he  is,  but  for  what  he 
may  become.  For  even  such  a  bad  man  as  an  ex- 
ploiter, worked  thoroughly  over  and  dipped  seven 
times,  can  be  made  good  and  clean.  It  is  astonish- 
ing how  many  exploiters  there  are  who  profess  to  be 
religious.  Perhaps  some  of  them  are  not  conscious 
humbugs;  maybe  a  part  of  them  are  self-deceived. 
A  self-deceived  man  reckons  himself  good,  when 
God's  Word  shows  him  bad,  by  test.  But  as  true  as 
God  is  in  heaven,  he  who  is  rich  from  exploitation  is 
pre-damned.  His  judgment  is  sure.  Such  a  covet- 
ous thief  is  more  worthy  of  hell-fire  than  any  other 
kind  of  sinner.  The  major  sentence  is  his  by  right. 
Nobody  shall  ever  think  that  I  regard  a  man  who 
assiduously  piles  up  a  fortune  from  the  painful  ef- 
forts of  his  unfortunate  fellows  is  even  an  approach 
to  what  he  ought  to  be,  or  has  the  faintest  streak  of 
whiteness  in  his  robber  soul.  A  minister,  seeing  in 
a  pew  beneath  him  a  wealthy  corporationist,  is  him- 
self implicated  if  he  does  not  arraign  him  for  the 
plunder  he  has  accumulated.  We  have  about  as 
much  respect  for  a  bloated  or  shrivelled-up  Money- 
bag as  Jesus  had.  The  fellow  who  has  year  in  and 
year  out  lived  on  the  fat  of  the  land  by  profits  from 


302  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

coal  mines,  gas  fields,  oil  wells,  water  development, 
may  build  churches,  libraries,  museums ;  but  he  never 
will  bribe  me  by  such  deeds  to  have  a  good  opinion  of 
him.  Rockefeller  good,  or  any  like  him?  He  is  not 
good,  in  justice,  in  honesty,  in  essential  principle. 
Still,  such  a  man  is  worth  saving;  and  it  is  worth 
while  to  attempt  his  redemption,  although  he  is  not  a 
promising  case." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  wish  everybody  would  be  thus  frank 
with  the  rich  rascals  of  the  country.  It  would  be  in- 
teresting to  hear  them  attempt  to  prove  that  they 
went  hand-in-hand  with  righteousness  and  benevo- 
lence to  their  present  affluence.  It  is  inconceivable 
to  me  how  they  can  even  pretend  that  they  were  led 
by  God  to  their  selfish  Paradise.  At  any  rate,  only 
themselves  think  so.  And  they  think  so  because  they 
love  to  have  it  so.  The  wish  is  father  to  the 
thought." 

"John,  I  shrink  from  such  criminals.  Jesus  said : 
'How  hardly  shall  they  that  have  riches  [in  another 
Evangelist  it  is,  'shall  a  rich  man']  enter  into  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven.'  He  said  again,  it  is  easier  for 
a  camel  to  go  through  one  of  the  small  tunnels  in  the 
wall  of  Jerusalem — needle-eyes — than  for  a  rich  man 
to  be  saved.  Think  of  a  camel  squeezing  through 
such  a  small  opening!  It  implies  the  next  thing  to 
impossibility,  and  I  am  not  sure  but  impossibility 
itself.  Of  course,  exploiters  appear  very  nice  per- 
sons. They  make  up  in  suavity  and  politeness  what 
they  lack  in  principle — at  least  they  try  to ;  but  they 
do  not  juggle  me  into  belief  of  their  integrity.  O 
John,  never  let  the  thought  of  riches  have  a  lodging- 
place  in  your  mind!  I  am  not  ignorant  of  the 
things  the  plutos  say.  It  does  not  alter  the  fact,  that 
acquisition  of  great  riches  cannot  be  made  without 
guilt.  He  who  being  interested  denies  this  if  he  is 
not  an  intentional  hypocrite  is  immeshed  in  delusion 


The  Conversion  of  the  Exploiter     303 

that  will  destroy  him.  And  yet  it  is  written,  'He  that 
converteth  a  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  ways  shall 
save  a  soul  from  death  and  shall  hide  a  multitude  of 
sins/  To  save  a  man  from  that  awful,  that  com- 
plete, that  irretrievable  judgment  the  second  death 
shall  be  my  attempt  now." 

"But  how  will  the  word  find  a  way  to  such,  dear 
Dad?" 

"My  Son,  God  will  look  after  that;  the  God  who 
has  implanted  the  earnest  desire  in  my  heart  to 
accomplish  the  work." 

"John,  I  would  first  say:  'Man,  brother!  you  are 
the  owner  of  certain  properties  from  which  you  ex- 
tract oil.  (I  will  say  'oil/  because  that  is  what  is 
found  most  plentifully  here ;  it  is  something  different 
elsewhere) .  But  to  be  a  titular  and  recorded  owner 
is  not  being  the  real  owner,  unless  one  of  three 
things  is  true :  1,  That  donation  has  been  made  you 
by  the  original  Owner,  God.  Please  let  me  see  the 
rescript  in  which  He  granted  these  properties  to  you. 
If  you  cannot  point  to  a  donative  decree  by  the  first 
Owner,  then  you  have  no  right  to  call  these  proper- 
ties yours,  nor  use  them  exclusively  as  yours,  for 
your  own  benefit.  And  again :  Show  me  where  the 
people,  the  whole  people,  assembled  in  called  meet- 
ing, agreed  to  give  you  those  properties  for  your  per- 
sonal possession,  to  the  shutting  out  of  all  other  men. 
For  second  title  is  in  man,  the  whole  community: 
'the  earth  hath  He  [God,  the  first  Owner]  given  to 
the  children  of  men ;'  not  to  a  few  men,  making  the 
rest  their  slaves.  If  you  cannot  produce  from  the 
people  title  to  those  lands  how  are  they  yours  ?  And 
again :  Show  me  that  the  world  has  consented  and 
now  consents  that  they  are  yours.  For  you  must  at 
least  have  the  consent  of  mankind  for  the  realty 
to  be  de  facto  and  undisputably  yours;  for  you  to 
justly  hold  it  as  against  all  claimants.  You  may 


304  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

reply,  you  bought  them.  Good.  But  now  show  me 
that  any  man  had  right  to  sell  you,  and  make  grant 
deed  to  you.  Sir,  you  know,  and  all  the  world  knows, 
that  God,  the  bottom  owner,  never  gave  you  that 
land,  not  even  for  use;  hence,  so  far  as  God  is  in- 
volved, you  have  no  right  to  it ;  it  is  not  yours.  And 
you  know,  and  so  do  we  all,  that  the  people  of  this 
country  never,  at  any  representative  meeting,  made 
you  owner.  If  the  Government  has  ever  done  it,  it 
is  like  extra-territorial  action  and  has  no  force;  for 
not  even  the  Government  can  give  away  the  people's 
inheritance  to  their  privation  and  injury.  Then  if 
you  bought  it  from  those  who  had  no  inherent  or 
acquired  right  to  sell  you  have  no  more  ownership 
than  a  pawnbroker  who  buys  stolen  goods.  And, 
thirdly :  It  is  not  assented  to  by  the  masses  of  the 
people.  The  public,  the  whole  people,  do  not  con- 
sent that  some  of  their  number  shall  be  land-barons 
while  they  are  landless.  Especially  when  that  bar- 
onage consists  of  their  own  acreage.  Is  it  right? 
Judge  yourself.  Now  it  is  clear  that  you  have  squat- 
ted upon  the  land  and  called  it  your  own  without 
fairness  to  the  Community,  and  greatly  to  the  dis- 
parity of  your  fellow-citizens  with  equal  right.  And 
the  working  of  the  property  has  been  usufruct,  in- 
stead of  legitimate  income.  It  is  very  clear  that  you 
are  but  a  claimant  and  an  exploiter  pure  and  simple. 
The  world's  patrimony  is  not  yours.  You  are  not 
the  world;  but  only  an  audacious  member  of  that 
world.  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?  It 
is  just  righteousness,  common  fairness  that  is  de- 
manded of  you/  " 

"Dear  Dad,  the  reasoning  is  sound,  and  I  can  con- 
ceive of  nothing  that  the  exploiter  can  say,  except, 
'Well,  what  you  say  may  be  true ;  but  it  is  an  accom- 
plished fact  that  I  am  in  possession,  and  I  have  no 


The  Conversion  of  the  Exploiter     305 

mind  to  be  disturbed.  I  have  also  the  power  by  law 
to  call  soldiers  to  protect  me  against  any  evictor  or 
molester ;  and  I  intend  to  still  be  owner,  even  though 
I  know  I  am  wrongly  in  possession." 

"John,  he  may,  too,  say — let  me  hope  that  he  will 
— 'I  never  gave  thought  as  to  my  right  of  ownership 
and  I  see  that  I  am  not  justly  the  proprietor:  what 
ought  I  to  dor" 

"Dear  Dad,  that  is  what  a  good  and  upright  man 
would  do;  if  he  had  inadvertently  missed  the  way 
and  one  showed  him  the  right  road,  his  first  thought 
would  be  to  get  back  to  the  road  he  should  travel. 
But,  you  see,  many  relationships  and  obligations 
have  been  established  and  assumed  and  it  is  not  easy 
to  get  out ;  also  it  is  a  serious,  practical  question  how 
he  should  act." 

"I  grant  it,  John ;  but  man  never  made  up  his  mind 
to  do  right,  made  it  up  determinedly,  but  that  some- 
how he  found  a  way ;  although  sometimes  it  has  been 
at  the  cost  of  his  life.  I  do  not,  however,  apprehend 
it  would  be  so  costly  in  the^case  of  an  exploiter  who 
wished  to  become  an  honest  man." 

"But,  Dad,  please  tell  me  further  what  you  would 
say  and  how  you  would  advise  and  admonish  an 
industrial  thief,  a  corporation  robber." 

"John,  having  shown  him  that  he  is  unlawfully 
(by  God's  law)  and  unfraternally  in  possession  of 
his  holdings,  the  substance  of  which  he  is  draining 
for  his  personal  gain,  I  would  press  him  as  to  action, 
somewhat  as  follows :  'Sir,  brother !  I  am  not  going  to 
say  what  we,  the  People,  think  of  doing  or  will  do  about 
it ;  but  I  am  asking  you,  you  the  offender,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  about  it?  The  action  is  first  up  to  you; 
or  rather  you  are  given  the  opportunity  by  God  and 
a  long-suffering  world  to  consider  and  change  your 
mind.  I  know  what  you  ought  to  do ;  and  I  have  your 


306  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

own  conscience  with  me,  if  it  is  in  working  order — 
you  ought  to  turn  back  to  the  world  its  own.    Wrong 
does  not  consist  so  much  in  a  man  taking  a  mis- 
step or  even  many  steps  in  wickedness,  as  it  does  in 
persistence  therein  when  he  is  shown  the  right  way 
and  urged  to  repentance.    When  that  is  true,  a  sin- 
ner becomes  an  incorrigible,  and  drastic  treatment 
is  his  due.    Let  me  tell  you  a  story  of  history.    While 
Jerusalem  was  being  beseiged  there  was  in  the  city 
a  very  bad  man,  John,  who  was  guilty  of  all  kinds 
of   excesses    and   profanities.      Josephus    tried   to 
reason  with  him  and  persuade  him  to  give  up  to  the 
Romans.     But  John,  standing  upon  the  wall,  only 
hurled  reproaches  upon  him.     One  thing  Josephus 
said  that  arrested  my  attention.    Upbraiding  John 
for  his  crimes,  calling  him  even  a  vile  wretch,  he 
turned  to  exhortation  to  repentance  and  said,  'But 
still,  John,  it  is  never  dishonorable  to  repent  and 
amend  what  hath  been  done  amiss,  even  at  the  last 
extremity/     (b.  6,  c.  2,  s.  1,  Wars.)     Man,  think!  it 
is  always  not  only  wicked  but  likewise  dishonorable 
to  sin;  but  it  is  never  dishonorable  to  repent.     In 
fact,  it  is  creditable  as  showing  that  betterment  has 
set  in.    Now  you  have  done  dishonestly  and  are  still 
as  a  claim-jumper  before  the  world;  should  you, 
however,  now  repent  it  would  not  only  set  you  right, 
but  it  would  be  creditable  to  you  as  being  susceptible 
to  good  things/  " 

"How  true  that  is,  dear  Dad,  while  sin  is  the  re- 
proach of  any  man  or  nation,  repentance  is  credit 
and  honor  to  the  man  or  nation  that  repents." 

"  'Man !  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?'  I  would 
continue.  "If  you  repent  the  people  will  forgive  you, 
and  love  you,  and  hold  your  name  in  high  esteem. 
They  will  even  instance  you  as  an  example  to  be 
copied  by  other  exploiters.  They  will  serve  you  with 


The  Conversion  of  the  Exploiter     307 

all  their  hearts.  And  God  will  forgive  you  for  the 
sake  of  Him  who  died  to  expiate  the  sins  of  all  men 
turning  to  righteousness  (and  as  a  mercy-seat  for 
the  whole  world  for  a  time  to  give  everybody  a 
chance  for  repentance).  If  you  repent  you  shall  be 
forgiven  and  received  into  the  Company  of  good- 
workers.  Now  it  is  not  that  you  are  asked  to  give 
anything  to  your  fellows.  You  cannot  give  your 
lands  nor  the  money  you  have  made  by  operating 
your  plunderous  corporation;  because  neither  the 
one  nor  the  other  was  ever  yours  to  give.  It  is  not 
liberality  I  am  speaking  about;  only  restoration  or 
restitution  of  things  monopolized — stolen.  You  may 
never  have  considered  it  in  that  light ;  but  that  is  the 
true  light  in  which  to  view  it.'  " 

"How  striking,  Dad !  Yes,  that  is  the  truth  about 
privately  owned  and  exploited  holdings:  they  are 
possessions  of  the  people  to  be  returned  to  them, 
for  righteousness." 

"  'Man,  brother !'  I  would  further  say,  'your  duty 
is  to  make  restitution  by  restoring  to  the  world  its 
natural  domain.  The  usufruct  you  are  unable  to 
return.  You  have  used  it  up  in  expensive  living; 
in  having  good  times.  That  is  lost  to  the  public. 
But  the  estate  and  the  business  you  have  in  your 
power  to  convey  back  to  the  owners.  Now  it  is  im- 
possible to  return  them  back  to  individuals  as  such, 
and  the  State  cannot  act  as  trustee,  therefore  you 
have  to  consider  how  you  can  return  the  world's 
inheritance  to  that  world  from  whom  you  have  taken 
it.  To  sell  it  and  scatter  the  coins  it  may  bring 
right  and  left  indiscriminatively  would  not  be  wis- 
dom. Let  me  suggest  that  you  dispose  of  it  or  use  it 
to  establish  communities  so  far  as  it  will  go  for  the 
blessing  of  the  many.  It  must  however  be  done  not 
by  way  of  patronage  but  as  restoration-money,  re- 


308  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

turned  humbly  and  contritely  to  God  by  a  sinner  to 
whom  He  has  given  grace  to  put  His  will  and  love 
of  the  brotherhood  before  thieving  selfishness." 

"Dear  Dad,  that  is  the  only  ground  on  which  a 
bad  man's  possessions  can  be  received  for  use  in  a 
good  cause,  as  the  embodiment  of  repentance  and  the 
restoration  of  property  unjustly  taken." 

"John,  I  would  make  this  duty  of  restoration  very 
strong;  for  it  is  a  teaching  of  Holy  Scripture  of 
indispensable  moment.  And  so  I  would  continue: 
'Restitution,  restoration,  friend!  I  can  say  nothing 
more  to  you  till  you  accede  to  this.  Of  course  you 
know  what  it  means,  but  let  me  refresh  you  with 
the  exact  sense  of  the  words  I  use.  'Restore:  to 
return  to  a  person,  as  a  specific  thing  which  he  has 
lost,  or  which  has  been  taken  from  him  and  unjustly 
detained.'  'Restitution :  the  act  of  returning  or  re- 
storing to  a  person  some  thing  or  right  of  which  he 
has  been  unjustly  deprived/  The  only  way  for  you 
to  lift  up  your  face  without  spot  or  shame  is  to  make 
restitution.  So  long  as  you  retain  the  stolen  prop- 
erties and  use  the  proceeds  for  yourself  you  are  a 
bad  man.  Yea,  you  may  not  say,  'I  will  compromise 
the  matter;  I  will  use  the  money  therefrom  partly 
in  educational,  charitable  or  religious  work/  God 
nor  man  will  accept  this  as  sufficient.  The  root  re- 
mains. Righteousness  makes  no  compromises;  it 
compounds  no  wrongs.  Pharaoh,  King  of  Egypt, 
offered  several  compromises  to  Moses,  but  as  repre- 
senting God  he  could  not  accept  them.  There  must 
be  complete  yielding  to  right ;  the  wrongfully  seized 
land,  or  whatever  it  is,  must  cease  to  be  yours.  It 
is  not  yours ;  you  must  acquiesce  by  giving  it  up/ ' 

"But  Dad,  the  man  may  reply:  'It  is  a  hard  say- 
ing; who  can  hear  it?  A  hard  thing  is  demanded  of 
me/  How  would  you  reply?" 


The  Conversion  of  the  Exploiter     309 

"I  should  answer  him,  John :  'Yes,  to  a  man  who 
does  not  first  say  very  sincerely  and  resolutely,  The 
right  shall  have  it,  righteousness  shall  win  though 
the  heavens  fall.  But  that  attitude  being  taken  and 
that  spirit  imbibed  giving  up  anything  is  easy.  It 
is  a  matter  of  the  spirit  chiefly,  although  restora- 
tion must  be  made  materially." 

"What  then,  Dad?" 

"0  John,  I  should  say,  again,  again  and  again: 
'Brother,  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?  Will 
you  make  restoration  ?  Will  you  begin  a  better  exist- 
ence? Shall  this  day  that  I  speak  to  you  be  'the 
beginning  of  days,  the  first  month  of  the  year*  to 
you?  That  was  what  God  said  the  day  of  Israel's 
departure  from  the  captivity  of  Egypt  should  be  for 
the  delivered  nation.  Do  you  not  want,  exploiting 
brother,  to  come  to  the  day  of  release  from  the  bond- 
age of  selfishness?  And  shall  not  this  be  the  day? 
Declare  your  independence  of  selfish  greed !  I  guar- 
antee you,  if  you  do  it  with  your  whole  heart,  you 
will  find  the  grace  of  God  present  to  forgive  you 
and  the  power  of  God  at  hand  to  enable  you.  Do 
not  say,  'It  has  gone  too  far.  It  has  been  of  too  long 
standing.  I  am  so  much  mixed  up  with  the  business, 
my  entanglements  are  so  numerous,  it  never  can  be 
changed.  I  shall  always  have  to  be  what  I  am  and 
do  what  I  do.  Waste  not  your  breath  upon  me — I 
am  a  goner.  Talk  to  those  who  have  not  yet  come 
into  the  life  of  exploitation  but  who  are  standing 
on  the  edge  of  the  precipice  and  are  disposed  to 
take  the  risk.'  You  must  not  talk  this  way.  I  know 
yours  is  a  hard,  but  not  a  hopeless  case.  Rich  ex- 
ploiters have  returned  to  God  and  to  the  love  of  man. 
Make  not  your  case  hopeless  by  despair.  A  man  once 
remarked,  'No  man  is  utterly  lost  until  he  gives  way 
to  despair.'  Nil  desperandum.  You  have  nothing 
to  do  with  what  God  will  do  in  your  case;  all  you 


310  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

have  to  be  concerned  about  is  what  you  should  do. 
And  that  is,  repent;  make  restitution.  And  thus 
cast  yourself  upon  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 
0  I  beg  you  be  able  to  say,  by  immediate  action :  'I 
have  done  my  part.'  " 

"Dad,  I  feel  greatly  impressed  that  this  is  the 
matter  in  a  nutshell.  Restoration  is  the  way  back 
for  a  land-owner  who  uses  the  people's  inheritance 
without  permission  of  Heaven  or  earth.  But  suppose 
he  will  not  relent  nor  retrieve  his  deed  of  malappro- 
priation  and  selfish  use,  should  he  be  'lawed'  for  it?" 

"Dear  John,  you  have  introduced  the  question  of 
society-dealing  with  a  culprit;  I  am  on  a  different 
line.  I  have  before  me  the  converting  of  a  sinner 
from  the  error  of  his  ways.  Mine  is  a  case  of  appeal 
to  the  moral  nature  of  a  man.  For  God — how  kind  it 
is! — has  established  in  every  man's  breast  a  judg- 
ment-seat that  he  may  bring  himself  to  self -judgment 
and  condemn  himself ;  and  self -condemned  and  repent- 
ant fly  to  the  clemency  of  the  great  Judge.  But  re- 
pentance is  absolutely  necessary.  Confession  without 
restitution,  prayer  without  the  new  life,  is  vain.  But 
now  you  have  asked  me  as  to  civil  government  and 
civil  righteousness  I  am  not  afraid  to  speak  plainly 
with  regard  to  it.  The  law  is  for  all,  and  all  are  sub- 
ject to  its  workings.  No  man  can  demand  that  a  law 
shall  be  made  for  himself  only;  for  his  own  protec- 
tion or  benefit  regardless  of  and  detrimental  to  the 
good  of  the  rest  of  his  fellows.  Society  has  rights  as 
well  as  individuals.  I  call  them  collective  rights.  As 
to  the  'rights  of  property,'  or  'property  rights' — 
there  are  none.  Property  has  no  rights.  Things 
have  nothing  that  they  may  claim  as  properly  theirs. 
Indeed,  things  cannot  make  claim  at  all.  Only  liv- 
ing beings  have  rights.  It  is  people  who  have  rights. 
And  the  lower  creatures  also.  But  I  confine  myself 
to  people — humanity  at  large.  Groups  of  humanity 


The  Conversion  of  the  Exploiter     311 

as  the  inhabitants  of  a  city;  a  nation;  the  world. 
These  have  common  rights.  Rights  with  respect  of 
the  earth  in  which  they  dwell ;  the  land  on  which  they 
walk  and  lie  down;  the  soil  which  is  the  source  of 
their  living." 

"Dear  Dad,  I  had  not  thought  that  'property 
rights/  'rights  of  property/  were  only  words,  terms 
of  selfish  owners.  I  now  see  plainly  that  it  is  people 
who  have  rights — in  respect  of  land  as  of  everything 
that  is  by  nature  common.  Of  course  things,  which 
cannot  see,  or  feel,  or  make  claim,  are  in  their  very 
nature  subordinate  and  without  rights;  but,  cer- 
tainly, they  should  be  used  rightly,  still  if  they  are 
not  they  do  not  consciously  suffer." 

"Now,  John,  as  you  have  asked  me,  it  is  my  im- 
pression that  the  People  have  invested  in  them  as 
owners  of  the  earth — 'in  one  piece/  as  the  real  estate 
agent  says  of  the  acreage  he  offers  for  sale — some- 
thing to  say  with  regard  to  it,  and  that  they  never 
lose  that  right  absolutely.  So,  if  they  find  some  of 
the  best  parts  of  it  have  been  acquired  as  private 
property  and  is  being  worked  for  a  narrow  rather 
than  the  public  interest ;  and  indeed  that  its  exploita- 
tion degrades  a  part  of  its  manhood  and  robs  them 
of  a  portion  of  their  earnings,  they  have  the  right  of 
interference  with  that  so-called  ownership  and  evil 
management.  Such  right  is  allowed  and  practiced 
in  some  directions  already.  Thus  a  city  condemns 
certain  property  to  perfect  a  street  which  is  ob- 
structed by  houses  in  the  center.  And  a  roadway  is 
cut  through  a  farm  as  a  public  highway.  So  the 
right  of  interference  by  Society  with  private  prop- 
erty is  not  a  new  suggestion.  And  the  same  will 
apply  to  all  the  squatter  occupation  of  land  in  all 
the  world.  Especially  and  most  urgently  to  such 
land  as  is  the  source  of  incalculable  wealth,  as  the  oil 
fields.  Amazing  boldness  that  pumps  it  out  into 


312  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

tanks  for  a  few  men,  estranged  in  their  greed  from 
a  common  humanity!  Their  'dare*  is  perfection  of 
contempt  for  justice  and  religion.  These  are  the 
men  who  fear  not  God  neither  regard  man.  Re- 
ligious? No;  lowest-down  thieves,  in  the  abyss  of 
depravity.  Society  may  at  any  time  righteously  stop 
their  conspiracies  and  eject  them  from  the  place  of 
their  iniquity." 

"Dear  Dad,  is  not  that  Socialism?" 

"I  really  cannot  say,  John ;  I  do  not  know  exactly 
what  Socialism  is.  There  are  so  many  definitions  of 
its  aims  and  the  scope  of  its  operations.  Some  say, 
it  is  dividing  up  the  world  in  severalty  of  lots  or 
farms.  Rich  people  think  it  is  robbing  them  of  their 
all  to  give  to  the  poor.  I  do  not  think,  with  sensible 
men  called  Socialists,  it  is  anything  of  the  kind; 
certainly,  not  all  the  bad  things  it  is  called.  I  be- 
lieve, generally,  it  is  a  system  devised  to  equalize 
man's  condition  on  earth  and  make  all  contented. 
The  system  of  living  I  propose  is  outside  all  political 
parties,  but  not  in  opposition  to  any  good  thing  any 
one  of  them  may  advocate.  If  Socialism  is  fairest 
— fairest  to  all — then  my  sympathies  must  be  larger 
for  Socialism  than  for  any  other  proposed  system  of 
human  existence.  But,  of  course,  I  think  there  is 
nothing  like  the  Community  of  Christian  love;  be- 
cause I  see  in  it  the  solution  of  all  the  perplexing 
problems  of  Sociology." 

"But  Dad,  you  did  not  answer  as  to  what  rights 
Society  have  in  regard  to  public  property  that  is 
developed  with  usufruct  for  a  handful  of  stock- 
holders." 

"John,  I  hold  that  in  perfect  justice,  and  without 
any  valid  objection  from  occupiers  called  owners, 
the  State  may  proceed  to  replevin  for  the  Common- 
wealth the  lands  so  acquired  or  seized  and  make  of 
them  contributaries  to  the  common  benefit.  I  have 


The  Conversion  of  the  Exploiter     313 

used  the  word  'replevin/  Do  you  know  what  that 
term  means?  Suppose  now  you  had  some  cattle  or 
household  goods,  and  somebody  claiming  that  you 
owed  him  a  debt  came  and  drove  off  the  cattle  or 
carted  away  the  goods ;  and  suppose  you  denied  your 
liability;  you  could  go  to  Court  and  upon  giving 
security  obtain  what  is  called  a  "Writ  of  Replevin/ 
under  which  you  could  take  back  what  had  been 
taken  from  you — drive  your  cattle  home,  cart  back 
your  furniture — and  your  creditor-claimant  could 
not  hinder  you ;  nor  would  he  be  able  to  molest  you 
till  your  case  came  up  in  Court  and  was  tried  upon 
its  merits  and  the  evidence.  This  is  almost  a  parallel 
as  regards  the  public  owner — the  People,  the  State, 
and  the  private  owner,  and  exploiter.  Men  had  an 
inheritance — the  Earth.  Individuals  have  appro- 
priated parts  of  it  to  themselves.  It  has  grown  to 
such  proportions  that  much  or  most  of  what  is  de- 
sirable and  can  be  profitably  worked  is  taken.  So- 
ciety is  beginning  to  be  sorely  pinched  by  its  loss  and 
its  operation.  If  it  should  issue  a  writ  of  replevin  to 
take  back  its  own  who  would  have  right  to  complain? 
Who  is  injured?  When  individuals  can  establish 
before  the  court  of  public  fairness,  the  court  of 
equity,  that  it  has  a  superior  right  to  that  of  the 
right  of  all,  then  should  they  have  back  their  never- 
owned  lands/* 

"Do  you  recommend  that  course,  dear  Dad  ?" 
"It  is  not  for  me  to  'recommend*  anything  that  has 
force  in  it.  Violence,  even  righteous  violence,  is  not 
my  life  nor  my  work.  My  work  is  only  to  show  an 
Associate  life  outside  of  the  common  life  under  civil 
government.  I  seek  to  convert  the  sinner.  I  would 
have  him  choose  a  better  course.  I  only  say,  the 
State,  in  my  judgment,  is  above  a  citizen;  and  that 
her  laws  as  to  property  should  be  in  force,  instead 
of  the  laws  of  an  individual  or  corporation ;  and  that 


314  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

if  she  had  substantial  reason  for  taking  back  her 
domain,  or  rather  taking  it  out  of  private  control  for 
injurious  selfish  ends,  she  has  the  right  so  to  do. 
Her  right  is  good  and  sound  as  against  a  howling 
robber." 

"Dad,  I  do  not  see  any  flaw  in  your  argument.  I 
know  you  are  not  meddling  in  the  affairs  of  political 
parties.  But  with  you  I  think  dispossession  in  cer- 
tain cases  is  a  right  of  the  State.  Howbeit  you 
would  have  all  Christian  men  run  together  to  Com- 
munity, because  God  is  there!  May  you  convert,  as 
you  wish,  some  hurtful  exploiter  and  see  him  happy 
in  the  Christian  System  of  mutual  love  and  united 
work!" 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
God  Requires  Man's  Love 


"JOHN,  we  have  spent  many  profitable  hours  to- 
gether considering  matters  pertaining  to  brotherly 
love,  the  neglected  business  of  the  day;  let  us  now  in 
our  last  conference  converse  on  the  requirement 
which  Jesus  says  is  ahead  even  of  this,  and  which 
puts  first  obligation  upon  us,  namely,  love  of  God — 
God,  the  author  of  our  being.  Our  first  duty,  natural 
and  for  reasons  of  loving-kindness  upon  His  part,  is 
to  give  to  Him  our  truest  and  most  affectionate 
attachment,  the  constantly  upspringing  emotion  of 
our  heart  and  devotion  of  our  hands.  Demanded 
of  a  lawyer  which  was  the  greatest  commandment, 
Jesus  answered :  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all 
thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind/  Bowing  our 
heads,  let  us  take  this  commandment  to  heart  as  we 
never  have  before — to  obey  it,  obey  it  utterly,  and 
ever  increase  in  love  of  God.  Thanks  be  to  God  that 
we  have  already  surrendered  ourselves  to  Him;  but 
0  what  room  there  still  is  for  a  more  clinging  and 
a  broader  love.  And  for  that  greater  cleaving  and 
wider  devotion  let  us  now  give  ourselves.  How  com- 
prehensive is  the  command :  all  the  affections,  all  the 
vital  force,  all  the  energy  of  action,  all  the 
intellect — these,  all  these,  are  impressed  into  love  of 
God.  I  think  of  the  words  of  David :  'Bless  the  Lord, 


316  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

0  my  soul;  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless  His 
holy  name.'  'All  that  is  within  me/  all  that  is  in- 
cluded in  self,  love,  bless  God !" 

"Dear  Dad,  that  must  be  the  supreme  obligation 
as  well  as  requirement.  To  our  Sire,  the  Father  of 
all,  it  needs  no  argument  to  convince  us,  must  be  due 
our  premier  and  whole-hearted  attachment,  fidelity, 
regard.  I  shall  be  delighted  if  you  can  say  anything 
that  will  help  me  to  love  God  better." 

"Dear  John,  it  is  a  matter  of  love,  which  is  both  a 
principle  and  a  passion.  Sometimes,  with  humans, 
it  is  only  the  latter;  but  love  in  its  perfect  state  is 
an  abiding  principle  of  regard  and  faithful  intimacy. 
It  is  not  like  mere  passion  that  explodes,  but  it  is  a 
steady  flame  of  close  and  dear  relationship.  God  is 
to  be  dear  God  to  us;  His  fellowship  our  delight; 
thought  of  Him  sweet.  He  is  to  be  our  beloved,  our 
best  beloved !  And  why  should  not  the  Father  and 
Preserver  of  our  lives,  and  the  Comforter  of  those 
lives,  be  first  in  our  eyes  and  heart?  I  find  myself 
heartily  consenting  with  Jesus  the  Lord  that  loving 
God  is  man's  chief  work  upon  earth.  And  still  how 
little  is  heard  concerning  it ;  and  what  small  labor  is 
bestowed  even  by  teachers  to  make  God  beloved  to 
the  hearts  of  men  and  to  beseech  all  to  love  Him  for 
His  merit,  for  His  own  love's  sake.  It  seems  that  the 
pulpit  should  never  tire  in  effort  to  make  everybody 
fall  in  love  with  the  living  Father  and  the  living 
Christ;  instead  of  scattering  its  energy  on  so  many 
subjects  that  relatively  are  of  small  importance. 
For,  as  I  get  it  from  the  Master,  to  love  God  and 
one's  neighbor  is  the  whole  duty  of  man;  and  what 
is  a  man's  whole  duty  he  ought  to  hear  about  and 
hear  it  often.  I  should  be  quite  satisfied  to  have  per- 
sons invite  me  to  spend  from  a  day  to  a  week  at  a 
time  to  teach  them  the  double  love  of  God  and  of 
humanity;  but  firstly  the  love  of  God.  In  that  time 


God  Requires  Man's  Love  317 

I  should  hope  to  show  them  the  reasons  for  such 
love  and  constrain  them  to  truly  give  their  hearts 
to  God." 

"Dear  Dad,  but  love  cannot  be  bestowed  on  any- 
body at  mere  commandment  to  love,  no  more  than 
trust  can  be  reposed  in  a  stranger  of  whom  we  have 
no  knowledge.  And  then,  you  remember,  God  is 
unseen,  and  for  that  reason  but  a  dim  reality  to  mil- 
lions, and  non-existing  to  many.  Do  you  not  think 
there  must  be  something  endearing  in  one  for  whom 
love  is  asked?  and  must  there  not  be  reality  of  being, 
personal  being,  as  an  object  for  love?  For  if  there  is 
to  a  man  no  God,  no  existing  Deity;  or  if  there  is 
conviction  of  such  a  Being  but  without  personality, 
qualities,  principles,  perfections  in  Him  that  are 
attractive,  again  how  can  a  man  fulfill  the  command- 
ment to  love  God  ?" 

"John,  you  have  suggested  the  essentials  for  lov- 
ing God — His  being  and  His  goodness.  Now,  in  my 
own  case,  as  a  lover  of  God,  I  have  found  it  neces- 
sary for  these  to  be  established  within  me ;  and  every 
day  confirmation  of  them  is  requisite  to  feed  and  in- 
crease my  love  for  Him.  And  now  I  shall  talk  freely 
to  you  about  them,  that  our  obedience  may  be  more 
pronounced  and  our  love  grow  and  flourish  more 
abundantly.  I  shall  begin  with  God's  being — the 
existence  of  God.  The  first  question  that  arises  is,  is 
there  a  God  at  all.  Men  use  the  word  and  attach  to 
it  the  idea  of  an  Overlord ;  but  is  there  such  a  Being. 
We  see  no  form ;  we  hear  no  voice ;  how  can  we  have 
assurance  so  as  to  be  satisfied  that  there  may  be 
ground  of  relationship  between  us  and  Him,  and  of 
actions  of  any  sort  toward  Him;  and  particularly 
that  sacred,  solemn,  joyous  relationship  of  loving 
devotion.  A  man  should  not  be  blamed  as  a  skeptic 
and  as  lacking  proper  moral  feeling  who  when  coun- 
selled to  throw  himself  into  the  arms  of  an  unseen 


318  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

Being  asks  for  satisfaction  that  there  are  Arms  into 
which  to  throw  himself;  that  there  is  such  an  Object 
to  love.  He  should  be  respectfully  and  sympathet- 
ically treated,  and  the  evidence,  the  demonstration, 
be  given  him  that  there  are  Arms,  that  there  is  such 
a  Being.  The  difficulty  is  that  God  is  invisible  as  to 
personal  being.  Hence,  a  man  must  be  made  sure 
from  other  considerations  than  vision.  And  I  thank 
God  it  is  not  necessary  to  tax  faith  to  hold  to  the 
existence  of  God ;  although  belief  is  required  of  us  in 
regard  to  the  testimony  which  God  has  borne  to 
Jesus,  that  He  is  His  Son,  and  that  He  has  given  us 
eternal  life  in  Him." 

"I  think  that  is  very  important,  Dad,  that  we  do 
not  have  to  accept  any  man's  word  by  faith  to  come 
to  assurance  of  the  existence  of  a  God;  but  that  we 
can  verify  it  directly  by  our  own  intelligence  and 
rational  faculty.  Hence  the  charge  that  religion  is 
all  credulity,  'blind  faith/  is  untrue.  As  you  say,  it 
can  be  perceived  by  the  mind  of  man  that  there  is  a 
God,  although  He  be  not  cognizable  by  the  senses. 
But  some  things  are  knowable  by  these  senses,  which 
infallibly  prove  the  reality  of  God's  being." 

"Yes,  dear  John,  and  I  find  it  easy,  one  of  the 
easiest  things  in  the  world,  at  any  moment,  fo  real- 
ize that  God  is.  Of  that  I  shall  speak  later.  But  let 
me  tell  you  a  story.  A  long  time  ago  some  sailors 
were  shipwrecked.  They  took  to  their  boats  and 
rowed  to  an  island  that  was  in  sight.  Was  it  in- 
habited ?  or  was  it  not?  they  queried.  Walking  along 
the  sands  they  saw  the  imprint  of  feet — fresh,  re- 
cently made.  They  now  knew  the  island  was  in- 
habited, although  they  had  not  seen  one  of  the  na- 
tives. It  is  not  necessary  to  see  God  to  be  certain 
beyond  doubt  of  His  existence.  His  footprints  are 
everywhere  in  the  world.  By  day  we  behold  His 
works;  and  when  darkness  has  enveloped  the  earth 


God  Requires  Man's  Love  319 

we  are  still  face  to  face  with  the  things  He  has  made. 
Why  do  I  say,  'His  works/  and  'things  which  He 
has  made'?  Because  I  know  no  man  could  have 
made  them;  and  I  am  therefore  shut  up  to  the 
only  remaining  conviction  that  it  was  God.  For  let 
us  go  out  to-night  and  what  shall  we  see?  The  moon 
as  placid  as  serenity  herself;  the  sky  studded  with 
brilliant  lamps.  Somebody  put  them  in  their  place, 
as  well  as  made  them.  Man  is  not  of  magnitude 
enough.  And  there  are  no  hooks  to  hang  them  upon. 
Who  but  God  could  have  lighted  and  suspended  the 
stars  in  the  heaven  ?  But  creations  imply  a  Creator, 
and  acts  an  actor.  All  this  is  independent  of  faith. 
It  is  observation  and  reflection.  We  see  the  things ; 
we  reason  God's  existence.  The  Apostle  Paul  wrote : 
The  invisible  things  of  God,  from  the  creation  of 
the  world  are  clearly  seen,  being  understood  by  the 
things  that  are  made,  even  His  eternal  power  and 
Godhead/  and  he  adds  to  this,  of  those  who  do  not 
know  Him,  'they  are  without  excuse/  " 

"Yes,  Dad,  a  man  who  denies  the  existence  of  God 
is  without  excuse.  It  is  preposterous,  and  an  insult 
to  our  intelligence,  to  speak  of  a  self -evolved  order. 
There  never  was  such  a  thing;  there  can  never  be. 
The  idea  that  all  things  tumbled  into  shapes  as  we 
have  them,  and  became  of  themselves  perfect  work- 
ing creatures,  is  a  lunatic's  wisdom.  Let  the  dis- 
puter  cart  a  load  of  dirt  and  stones  to  an  eminence 
and  pitch  them  over  a  precipice  and  see  if  they  will 
become  a  man  or  even  a  donkey  (like  himself!) 
Creation  proclaims  a  Creator.  God  is !  Yes,  He  is ! 
Then,  also,  without  faith,  let  a  man  consider  the 
power  God  has  implanted  in  a  human  being :  by  will 
he  can  take  in  and  retain  persons  and  things  not 
present,  which  are  invisible.  Why  this  faculty,  if 
not  primarily  to  make  it  possible  for  the  creature  to 
have  his  Creator  with  him,  although  He  dwells  in 


320  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

'the  secret  place/  and  is  undiscernible  by  mortal 
eyes?  Other  reasons  for  this  construction  and  en- 
dowment can  be  mentioned,  but  the  leading  one  is 
that  man  might  be  able  to  apprehend  God  as  the 
Living  One,  a  Reality  of  existence.  'Understand/ 
said  the  Psalmist,  'ye  brutish  among  the  people ;  and 
ye  fools,  when  will  ye  be  wise  ?  He  that  planted  the 
ear  shall  He  not  hear?  and  He  that  formed  the  eye, 
shall  He  not  see  ?'  It  is  unreason  not  to  reply  affirm- 
atively. The  power  of  making  present  beings  and 
things  that  are  absent ;  the  faculty  of  seeing  the  non- 
visible,  plainly  says  to  us  that  God  has  made  possible 
apprehension  of  Himself  although  He  is  in  heaven 
and  not  with  us  in  any  form.  But  there  is  a  nearer 
and  still  more  decisive  proof,  apart  from  faith,  of 
God's  existence,  which  is  bound  up  with  His  benevo- 
lence, that  I  shall  mention  later.  Let  it  be,  without 
further  words,  that  to  us  God  is.  The  Object  exists. 
Exists  not  as  diffused  quality,  but  as  a  Personality. 
A  self-conscious,  all-conscious  Being.  An  Intelli- 
gency.  Somebody — to  be  loved.  Less  than  that  I 
could  not  conceive  of,  to  love  and  trust  and  imitate. 
Truth,  justice,  power,  love  are  not  sufficient.  There 
must  be  a  truth  Speaker;  a  justice  Renderer;  a  power 
Exerter;  a  love  Bestower — God  himself.  A  soul 
need  not  cry  out  for  somebody  to  love.  If  men  are 
unloving,  and  do  not  attach  us  to  themselves,  there 
is  yet  One  in  whom  to  anchor  our  affectionate  nature 
—God." 

"Dear  Dad,  but  is  this  Being  of  the  unseen  lov- 
able? Or  is  He  a  great,  a  frightful,  a  forbidding 
ogre?  And  has  anybody  in  all  history  been  able  to 
love  Him?  Dad,  I  am  talking  about  love,  remem- 
ber ;  and  you  know  love  in  a  child  cuddles  its  mother, 
and  throws  its  arms  around  its  father's  neck,  and  is 
happy  and  oblivious  to  evil  as  though  no  such  thing 
existed." 


God  Requires  Man's  Love  321 

"John,  the  One  of  whom  I  speak  is  most  lovable 
and  attractive.  In  fact,  to  know  Him  as  He  truly  is, 
and  in  His  acts  and  purposes,  is  to  love  Him.  It  is 
a  can't-help-it  case.  But  you  may  say  to  me,  How 
then  is  it  that  all  are  not  wrapped  up  in  Him?  I 
answer,  they  have  never  known  Him.  There  is  both 
knowing  about  Him — by  report  of  others ;  and  know- 
ing Him  by  personal  transactions — 'experience'  it 
is  sometimes  called.  Taking  notice*  is  necessary 
for  both.  A  scripture  says,  talking  of  God's  preserv- 
ing care,  'Whoso  is  wise  and  will  observe  these 
things,  he  shall  understand  the  lovingkindness  of 
the  Lord.'  We  need  to  be  good  observers.  But  now, 
still,  to  be  assured  of  God's  love,  of  His  great  all- 
benevolence,  before  we  come  to  the  Gospel  and  to 
faith  (the  highest  exhibition  of  Divine  love) ,  let  me 
ask  you  to  give  attention  to  your  own  being,  that 
you  may  see  how  benevolence  and  beneficence  shine 
out  in  man's  very  construction.  When  God  made 
Adam  He  by  no  means  had  in  His  mind  the  making 
of  a  machine — a  working  thing.  He  had  before  His 
all-wisdom  idea  of  a  happy  intelligency.  Although 
He  did  not  make  Adam  sufficient  unto  himself,  that 
is,  self-satisfying  apart  from  his  Creator  and  his 
Creator's  communion  or  fellowship,  yet  He  created 
him  so  that  every  part  ministered  to  the  other  what 
it  needed  for  a  full  life,  and  then  He  placed  his 
creature  in  a  charming  environment;  and  I  do  not 
see  what  more  He  could  do  to  make  man  happy. 
But  the  fact  of  His  arranging  to  make  him  thus 
happy  shows  the  goodness  of  God,  the  benevolence 
of  His  nature  and  heart.  For  if  He  had  not  enter- 
tained good  thoughts  about  man  He  would  not  have 
cared  nor  planned  nor  wrought  for  his  happy  being. 
The  fact  that  He  did  is  proof  of  His  good  heart." 

"Dad,  how,  in  what,  did  He  so  benevolently  design 
and  create  man  to  see  good  days,  as  well  as  to  take 
in  the  vital  air?" 


322  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"Reflect,  John,  on  how  the  body  is  constructed  and 
furnished  for  its  preservation  and  comfort;  of 
course,  the  mind  being  made  correspondingly  good. 
God  gave  you  two  eyes :  what  for?  For  four  things : 
1,  To  'look  into  the  eyes  and  faces  of  father,  mother, 
wife,  child,  friend.  A  blind  child  who  recovered 
her  sight  went  into  raptures  at  first  view  of  her 
mother.  2,  To  enable  you  to  go  about  safely  in  the 
world — see  dangers  of  pit-hole,  precipice,  morrass 
and  avoid  them.  3,  To  earn  a  living — go  to  your 
work,  see  the  job,  use  your  tools,  see  your  home,  food, 
etc.  4,  To  gaze  upon  your  beautiful  habitation  the 
earth,  with  its  mountains,  valleys,  plains,  rivers, 
oceans,  and  so  forth.  For  communion,  safety,  neces- 
sity, pleasure,  God  made  your  eyes.  Can  you  not 
read  between  the  lines  that  He  cared  thus  for  you 
because  He  loved  you  ?  Then  He  gave  you  two  ears. 
There  are  sounds  of  trilling  birds  in  the  world, 
gurgles  of  limpid  streams,  the  hum  of  living  nature, 
and  above  all  the  voice  of  man.  Knowledge  comes 
in  part  by  observation  and  action  of  beings  and 
things  upon  us  in  our  daily  life,  but  chiefly  by  the  liv- 
ing voice.  He  created  you  capable  of  pleasant  com- 
munications, of  hearing  the  wisdom  of  others,  of 
conversation :  why  ?  that  you  might  not  be  lonely  in 
the  world;  that  you  might  gain  from  the  general 
knowledge.  Why  did  He  care  as  to  this  except  that 
He  loved  you  ?  God  made  you  with  two  hands.  Had 
He  not,  how  dependent  you  would  have  been  upon 
others.  They  would  have  been  obliged  to  give  you 
your  living,  feed  you,  dress  you,  do  everything  for 
you.  But  His  goodness  made  you  independent  of 
other  folks'  hands,  and  a  minister  not  merely  to  your 
own  wants  but  to  those  of  others  likewise.  Did  you 
ever  feel  emotion  of  gratitude  to  God  that  you  could 
do  for  yourself?" 

"Why,  Dad,  how  many  things  there  are  that  I  had 


God  Requires  Man's  Love  323 

not  noticed  as  love  for  thanks  to  God;  that  I  have 
never  taken  account  of  as  tokens  of  Divine  good- 
ness." 

"John,  this  is  but  the  beginning.  God  made  you 
with  feet,  so  that  you  are  not  compelled  to  be  all  your 
life  in  one  place,  but  can  go  hither  and  thither  and 
have  variety  of  scenery;  and  if  you  are  good,  visit 
the  house  of  bereavement,  poverty,  imprisonment, 
and  be  a  very  angel  of  heaven  to  the  unhappy.  How 
good  of  Him  to  give  you  the  means  of  locomotion  and 
fill  your  life  with  such  interesting  and  recreative 
change.  And  I  could  continue  and  refer  to  all  the 
senses,  organs,  parts  of  the  human  frame,  not  one  of 
which  was  made  unbenevolently,  that  is,  unthought- 
ful  of  man's  good;  but,  contrariwise,  were  created 
and  adapted  to  each  other  with  that  good  in  view. 
'Good  God/  we  have  to  exclaim,  as  we  consider  our- 
selves. He  who  is  happy  in  His  own  existence,  being 
good,  did  everything  to  make  us  happy  in  ours.  I 
do  not  know  one  thing  about  man's  construction  that 
was  not  love  working  for  the  creature's  good.  And 
then  when  God  made  man  He  put  him  in  the  midst 
of  all  beauty  and  fragrance  and  sweetness,  with  sup- 
ply and  gratification  for  every  sense  with  which  He 
had  furnished  him,  showing  that  He  cared  for  man's 
habitat  and  environment,  and  that  it  is  His  will  that 
man  should  live  in  a  paradise,  and  not  in  a  hovel  as 
if  he  were  nothing  of  value  or  nobility.  And  when 
He  gave  him  work,  it  was  not  such  work  as  the 
wicked  exploiter  and  the  evil  system  of  industrialism 
puts  upon  men.  Tell  me,  for  the  home  God  furnished 
Adam,  and  the  pleasant  work  He  gave  him  for  occu- 
pation of  his  mind  and  body,  is  not  God  good?  How 
different  He  is  from  the  gods  that  are  not  God;  the 
creations  of  the  distorted  brains  of  wretched  men. 
The  Lord  is  good';  '0  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is 
good' :  it  has  been  the  song  of  the  ages.  God  is,  and 
God  is  good !" 


324  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

"But  Dad,  is  there  not  another  side?  President 
emeritus  Eliot  of  Harvard  College  same  out  recently 
with  an  article  in  which  he  severely,  almost  savagely 
attacked  God  (Jehovah)  as  a  very  bad  God,  who 
committed  all  sorts  of  atrocities ;  and  certainly,  there 
are  some  passages  in  the  Old  Testament  that  do  not 
run  in  pairs  with  New  Testament  scriptures:  what 
do  you  say  about  that?" 

"John,  the  man  Eliot  you  speak  of,  because  he 
knows  a  few  things — they  are  very  few — and  be- 
cause he  has  been  placed  in  the  chair  of  a  pedagogue, 
has  lost  sense  of  decency  in  putting  God — think  of  it, 
God! — on  trial;  and  his  remarks  about  Him  are  wild 
and  unreliable,  and  show  him  an  enemy  of  God  as 
well  as  injurious  to  man.  Of  course,  what  he  says  is 
a  travesty,  almost  a  burlesque  of  the  facts.  For  all 
Mr.  Eliot  says,  'Yahweh,  He  is  the  God;  Yahweh, 
He  is  the  God;'  And  He  is  a  'good*  God!  What 
God  did  of  old,  acting  in  the  severity  of  justice,  He 
had  right  to  do  as  God;  and  it  was  'good*  for  the 
world,  although  not  for  the  sinners  whom  He  de- 
stroyed, root  and  branch.  Certainly  God  is  good  in 
His  forbearance  of  enemies  whose  lives  are  all  pollu- 
tion and  robbery.  And  if  after  bearing  with  them 
He  at  last  proceeds  to  judgment  wherein  does  He  do 
wrong?  Is  it  not  true,  that  'He  maketh  His  sun  to 
rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain 
on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust'  ?  Is  it  not  true,  that 
men  'despise  the  riches  of  His  goodness  and  His  for- 
bearance' ?  And  if  at  last  he  considers  some  too  vile 
to  be  longer  suffered  to  live  and  wipes  them  off  the 
face  of  the  earth,  who  is  this  man  Eliot  that  he  should 
stand  up  and  vilify  Him  and  accuse  Him  of  being  a 
bad  God?  Of  course  Mr.  Eliot  must  know  that  the 
dispensation  of  grace  and  the  proffer  of  salvation  by 
Jesus  Christ  had  not  yet  arrived;  and  that  before 
that  time  God  made  but  partial  revelation  of  Himself, 


God  Requires  Man's  Love  325 

unfolded  Himself  but  in  measure ;  and  it  is  not  proper 
modesty  in  a  creature  to  criticize  God  when  He  pro- 
ceeds to  just  retribution.  As  to  God  being  simply  a 
national  god,  the  god  of  the  Jews — He  was  God  in 
Israel,  and  He  was  in  covenant  with  Abraham  His 
friend  and  with  his  posterity ;  but  He  was  not  'good' 
to  them  to  favor  them  if  they  were  wicked,  simply 
because  they  were  Hebrews.  The  Bible  puts  it  thus 
(let  the  unfair  man  be  fair)  :  Truly,  God  is  good  to 
Israel,  to  such  as  are  of  a  clean  heart/  and  He  will 
only  have  those  come  up  to  Him  in  His  temple  who 
have  'clean  hands  and  a  pure  heart' — people  who 
work  righteousness.  And  He  claims  to  be  'the  God 
of  the  whole  earth',  to  whom  'all  flesh  shall  come/ 
Yahweh  did  'establish  a  testimony  in  Jacob  and  ap- 
pointed a  law  in  Israel.'  I  purpose,  God  willing, 
answering  fully  these  God-defamers.  I  repeat,  God 
is  good;  God  is  lovable." 

"Yes,  Dad,  God  is  lovable;  so  say  a  great  host  who 
love  Him  because  He  is  lovable,  and  more  than  that, 
a  Lover  of  men.  As  says  the  Apostle  John,  'We  love 
Him  because  He  first  loved  us.'  But  I  am  thinking 
now  of  some  of  the  sayings  of  those  who  loved  God. 
I  recall,  as  chief  of  them,  David,  King  of  Israel. 
'I  will  go,'  said  he,  'unto  the  altar  of  my  God;  unto 
God,  my  exceeding  joy.'  The  margin  has  it,  'unto 
God,  the  gladness  of  my  joy.'  Hear  his  exclamations 
to  God :  'Thou  Lord  hast  made  me  glad  through  thy 
work;  I  will  rejoice  in  the  works  of  Thy  hands.' 
'Thou  hast  put  gladness  in  my  heart  more  than  in 
the  time  that  their  corn  and  their  wine  increased/ 
As  he  thinks  of  God,  listen  to  what  he  says :  'I  will 
sing  unto  the  Lord  as  long  as  I  live ;  I  will  sing  praise 
to  my  God  while  I  have  any  being.  My  meditation 
of  Him  shall  be  sweet;  I  will  be  glad  in  the  Lord/ 
Hearken  again:  'In  the  multitude  of  my  thoughts 
within  me,  Thy  comforts  delight  my  soul/  His  ex- 


326  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

hortation  to  all  is:  '0  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord 
is  good;  blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  Him/ 
In  an  outburst  of  soul  he  exclaims :  'I  love  the  Lord/ 
and  he  had  a  'because'  for  his  love;  and  stimulates 
others  to  a  like  love,  saying,  '0  love  the  Lord,  ye  His 
saints/  God  was  'good'  in  the  eyes  of  the  Psalmist. 
He  was  lovable;  his  heart's  dear  refuge.  And  if 
that  Philistine  Eliot,  with  no  part  in  Zion  and  its 
King,  had  stood  on  the  ground  beneath  the  ramparts 
of  Jerusalem  vilifying  the  God  of  Israel,  as  he  is 
doing  to-day,  and  had  called  upon  David  to  forsake 
the  Holy  One  his  beloved,  methinks  he  would  have 
taken  no  notice  of  him  as  a  foe  beneath  his  regard, 
or  have  rolled  a  big  stone  upon  his  ribald  pate !  Cer- 
tainly, Yahweh  was  to  David  no  such  being  as  He 
is  to  the  apostate  of  Harvard  College.  And  who  was 
right,  David  or  the  ex-president?  If  David  was 
wrong  he  derived  a  great  deal  of  good  out  of  his 
error;  which  is  more  than  Mr.  Eliot  can  get  out  of 
his  correction  of  the  God-blessed  man." 

"Dear  John,  please  let  me  talk  further  of  loving 
God.  You  see,  my  obpect  is  to  join  all  hearts  to  the 
great  Heart ;  for  I  am  sure  the  Unseen  One  is  Heart, 
although  some  only  think  Him  as  Mind.  I  have 
hitherto  kept  away  from  faith,  and  asked  for  love 
for  God  for  things  visible.  One  of  these  things  is 
the  goodness  of  God  in  His  supply  of  all  His 
creatures ;  in  making  seasons  and  giving  food  to  all. 
'The  earth  is  full  of  His  goodness/  What  a  bountiful 
God  He  is !  What  an  abundance  there  is  every  year 
for  all !  0  the  crops  overflow  the  barns !  I  said,  God 
gives  these  crops.  If  one  should  say,  This  is  a  state- 
ment only ;  I  ask  who  gives  the  increase,  if  not  God  ? 
Somebody  does !  We  put  the  seed  into  the  furrow  we 
have  made  and  cover  it  up.  Rain  falls;  the  sun 
shines.  The  rain  belongs  to  somebody;  and  so  the 
sun.  I  have  never  yet  heard  any  man  say  they  are 


God  Requires  Man's  Love  327 

his.  Whose  are  they  but  His  whom  we  see  not?  We 
do  not  set  in  operation  the  forces  that  cause  germina- 
tion and  growth  and  that  ripens  the  fruits  of  the  soil. 
Somebody  does.  Somebody  with  a  good  mind  toward 
us.  Somebody  who  would  have  us  live,  and  who  gives 
us  better  than  opportunity,  supply.  The  selfish 
economic  system  goes  no  farther  in  our  help  than 
opportunity — an  equal  opportunity  to  live,  which  it 
does  not  give;  the  new  system  of  Christian  living 
that  I  teach  does  better  than  that,  it  ensures  supply. 
Well,  here  is  supply.  Autumn  comes;  cereals  and 
fruits  are  full  and  brown  or  red-ripe.  Somebody  is 
very  good  to  us.  0  do  not  mention  the  exploiters. 
The  thieves  and  rascals,  so  far  from  giving  us  any- 
thing intercept  the  bounty  of  God  intended  for  all,  so 
that  we  do  not  get  our  own.  God  is  displeased  and 
will  deal  with  them  for  it.  We  are  poor  because  our 
share  is  seized  and  carried  off.  But  for  all  that  God 
is  good.  He  is  Giver.  What  I  see  of  God's  provi- 
dence convinces  me  He  loves  me." 

"Dear  Dad,  so  many  times  do  we  read  in  Scrip- 
ture, 'The  Lord  is  good.'  It  is  not  moral  quality  that 
is  meant,  but  the  Divine  beneficence.  Supply,  pro- 
tection, watching-over  with  much  affection.  The 
goodness  of  this  Good  One  is  unceasing  to  all.  The 
'good'  is  good  that  fills — fills  others.  'Thou  openest 
Thy  hand,  they  [all  creatures]  are  filled  with  good.' 
'Being  good'  with  God,  is  more  than  being  holy  and 
righteous ;  many  who  are  very  decent  in  their  private 
lives  have  not  learned  that  being  good  is  being  benefi- 
cent, munificent.  God  is  both,  by  every-day  proof. 
It  ought  to  be  easy  to  love  Him.  And  it  is,  to  those 
who,  having  eyes,  see,  and  who,  having  hearts,  feel. 
'Thou  shalt  love'  this  good  God!  The  marvel  with 
me  is  that  so  many  do  not  love  God." 

"Dear  John,  I  am  sure  such  constancy  in  care-tak- 
ing and  providing  must  appeal  to  the  thoughtful.  Of 


328  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

course  there  are  other  reasons  that  appeal  to  us  to 
give  God  our  heart.  There  is,  and  perhaps  it  should 
have  been  mentioned  by  me  first,  His  own  personal 
peerless  rectitude,  His  individual  excellence  and  per- 
fection. It  is  what  we  call  the  moral  perfection  of 
Deity.  I  fall  down  in  admiration  as  I  gaze  upon  God 
and  see  what  He  is  in  Himself.  What  God  is  is  made 
manifest  to  us  in  what  He  does.  A  man  is  exactly 
as  he  intends,  and  he  acts  as  he  intends.  How  mar- 
vellous is  God  himself.  As  I  love  the  true,  the  pure, 
the  faithful,  the  kind,  so  I  love  the  embodiment  of 
these  virtues  and  qualities.  And  God  has  in  Himself, 
perfect  and  infinite,  every  one  of  these  good  qualities 
and  all  others.  It  does  not  take  faith  even  to  see 
this.  I  am  going  to  make  a  statement  of  a  great  truth 
that  was  not  given  me  until  to-day ;  it  is  this :  There 
is  no  standard  anywhere,  in  any  being,  or  in  any 
myth,  of  holy,  moral  principle  outside  of  God.  He 
only,  in  His  life  toward  us,  is  the  core  and  example 
of  all  the  virtues!  All  you  have  to  do  to  know  the 
principles  of  God  is  to  see  on  what  side  He  is  in  all 
matters;  what  He  stands  for  and  insists  on;  with 
what  He  is  pleased  and  what  gives  Him  offense; 
whom  He  rewards  and  whom  He  punishes.  You  will 
find  every  time  that  He  is  on  the  good  side.  He  is 
true  in  all  His  statements;  faithful  in  all  His  rela- 
tionships, and  in  a  word,  'Good  and  upright  is  the 
Lord/  And  that  is  lovable  by  the  man  of  principle 
and  honor.  It  is  easy  to  love  God  because  He  is  al- 
ways a  God  of  rectitude,  and  there  is  no  unrighteous- 
ness in  Him." 

"O  Dad,  what  a  subject  this  is !  We  should  have 
many  conferences  upon  God,  and  loving  God.  And  I 
think  if  this  was  presented  to  men  properly  there 
would  be  many  more  adherents  to  Him,  not  in  name 
but  in  truth — real  lovers  of  God." 

"John,  I  must  now  come  to  faith;  but  even  faith 


I 

Vv 

' 


God  Requires  Man's  Love  329 

becomes  knowledge  to  those  who  believe.  It  is  like 
trying  or  testing  a  thing  on  the  word  of  another ;  but 
when  you  have  made  the  test  you  no  longer  believe, 
you  know.  But  this  knowledge  those  only  have  who 
make  the  trial.  Suppose  a  man  should  show  you  two 
samples  of  powders.  They  are  both  white.  He  says 
to  you :  'This  is  sugar.  It  is  sweet  to  the  taste/  'And 
this',  says  he,  pointing  to  the  other  powder,  'is  salt. 
It  makes  food  palatable,  preserves  meat,  etc.*  You 
know  now  both  about  sugar  and  salt ;  and  again  you 
do  not  know.  But  now  put  a  spoonful  of  sugar  into 
your  mouth,  and  you  can  testify  against  all  the  world 
that  has  never  tried  it  that  sugar  is  sweet.  So  of 
salt.  Sprinkle  a  little  over  your  food  and  eat,  and 
you  know  what  salt  is  in  relation  to  food  as  you 
never  would  know  without  using.  This  is  a  parable 
of  the  Gospel — received  and  obeyed,  lived  as  to  its 
commandments.  0  the  best  way  in  which  God  is 
good  and  most  lovable  is  told  us  in  the  words :  'God 
sent  His  Son  into  the  world  that  we  might  live 
through  Him/  'God  sent  not  His  Son  into  the  world 
to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the  world  through 
Him  might  be  saved/  'God  so  loved  the  world  that 
He  gave  Jlis  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lie veth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlast- 
ing life/  Herein  is  love ;  wonderful  love.  Salvation 
becomes  known  by  faith ;  but  when  we  have  believed 
it  is  knowledge.  We  know  we  are  saved.  And  we 
love  God  for  salvation — experienced,  enjoyed/' 

"Glorious  is  it,  dear  Dad,  to  have  love  bestowed 
upon  us  unto  salvation  and  preparation  for  every 
good  work,  and  for  glorification  in  the  hereafter." 

"Dear  John,  'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord,  thy  God!' 
0  the  saved  are  so  happy  because  God  through  Christ 
has  brought  them  out  of  the  mire  into  which  they 
were  sinking  to  complete  submergence  and  put  them 


upon  firm  ground,  they  know  not  how  to  contain 


330  The  New  Christian  System  of  Living 

themselves  for  love.  To  persons  of  propriety  who 
have  never  been  saved  they  may  seem  to  be  excited 
and  a  lot  of  other  things  that  I  admit  do  not  look  very 
decorous.  But  then,  you  know,  it  is  always  so  in 
great  crises ;  when  the  matter  has  turned  for  the  bet- 
ter. The  father  who  received  back  his  prodigal  son 
did  make  some  'fuss'  over  it.  Why  did  he  not  take  it 
in  a  common-place  way  ?  Why  that  boy  was  his  son. 
And  he  had  not  seen  him  for  many  years.  And  he 
had  given  him  up  for  dead.  But  now  he  is  in  his 
arms!  And  that  boy,  in  rags,  without  sandals  on  his 
feet,  hungry,  and  saying  himself  that  he  had  ex- 
hausted all  his  rights  as  a  son  (which  he  really  had) , 
received  by  his  father  so  kindly,  the  old  man's  tears 
dropping  upon  his  face,  it  made  some  effect,  believe 
me;  and  he  could  not  feel  ordinary  in  such  extraor- 
dinary circumstances!  0  how  I  should  like  Mr. 
Proper  to  be  Mr.  Saved.  There  would  be  an  imme- 
diate change.  0  such  love  for  God!  Such  uncalcu- 
lating  love !  Such  whole-hearted  love !  Such  devoted 
love !  'Thy  first  love/  it  is  called  in  Scripture." 

"Dear  Dad,  'Christ  died  for  our  sins/  God  'made 
Him  to  be  a  sin-offering  for  us/  'He  is  our  peace/ 
as  we  accept  Him.  Reconciliation  and  righteousness 
are  ours.  'Beloved,  now  are  we  the  sons  of  God,  and 
it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be ;  but  we  know 
that  when  He  shall  appear  we  shall  be  like  Him/ 
'Like  Him  and  with  Him !'  is  on  our  banner !  'Blessed 
be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  who 
hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  Christ 
Jesus/  Blessed  be  the  One  who  'hath  begotten  us 
to  a  hope  of  life  [living  again] ,  by  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  to  an  inheritance  incor- 
ruptible and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away/ 
He  who  believes  all  this  will  keep  the  first  command- 
ment, 'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God/  And  as  it 
is  commanded  us  that  we  show  or  give  proof  of  our 


God  Requires  Man's  Love          331 

love  for  God  the  unseen  by  loving  man  the  seen,  we 
shall  be  converted  from  the  selfish  life,  from  the  life 
of  exploitation  of  others.  We  shall  then  find  that  the 
Community  of  mutual  love  and  service  is  our  con- 
genial state  upon  earth,  until  Jesus  comes.  Dad,  I 
with  you  will  love  God  as  He  commands,  by  loving 
the  brethren  for  His  dear  sake.  And  the  most 
solaceful  and  gratifying  thought  that  lingers  with  me 
is  this :  'If  any  man  love  God,  the  same  is  known  of 
Him/  He  knows  every  beat  of  the  heart  toward  His 
dear  Self !  He  knows  all  the  help  given  the  brethren 
and  the  world  at  large  to  please  Him.  He  knows; 
He  knows!  And  that  is  enough!'* 


ANOTHER  BOOK  BY  THE  SAME 
AUTHOR 


To  be  published  as  soon  as  500  advance  orders  are 
received  at  $1.50  per  copy  to  pay  the  cost  of  pro- 
duction, or  some  earnest  Christian  man  will  provide 
the  necessary  money,  a  second  volume,  dealing  with 
Sociological  matters  left  out  of  the  present  volume. 
Its  title  is  to  be — 

LIVE  EMBERS; 

OR 

THOUGHTS  TO  IGNITE  THINKING  MEN 

The  size  will  be  the  same  as  this  book  and  printed 
in  the  same  clear  type.  Commercialism  is  not  the 
basis  of  the  productions  of  the  pen  of  the  Author, 
but  service — real  service  of  love;  and  co-operation 
is  asked  of  all  who  for  their  works*  sake  are  worthy 
to  be  fellows  in  the  propagation  of  righteousness  and 
brotherly  love. 

Are  you  a  Soldier  of  the  Common  Good?  Cor- 
respondence is  invited  from  such.  Address : 

W.  KELLAWAY, 

318  East  Third  Street. 
Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

It  is  purposed  to  issue  a  16-page  prospectus  of  the 
new  work.  Readers  sending  their  names  will  have 
their  addresses  put  on  file  for  a  copy  when  ready. 


UNIVEKSITY  OF  CALIFOENIA  LIBKAEY, 
BEEKELEY 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

Books  not  returned  on  time  are  subject  to  a  fine  of 
50c  per  volume  after  the  third  day  overdue,  increasing 
to  $1.00  per  volume  after  the  sixth  day.  Books  not  in 
demand  may  be  renewed  if  application  is  made  before 
expiration  of  loan  period. 


15w-12,'24 


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